EMPIRE AIR DAY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 145, 22 May 1939, Page 7

EMPIRE AIR DAY.

IIOYAL AIR FORCE DISPLAY. LATEST AIRCRAFT TYPES. (British. Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 20. About 5000 Royal Air Force and civil aircraft were Hying or on the ground lor inspection tnis afternoon at 03 R.A.F. and 15 civil aerodromes open to the public in celebration of Empire Air Day. Apart from tho large number of machines on view, the occasion was remarkable for the very striking representation of tho latest high-speed types. Aeroplanes where machines of these types are not permanently stationed received visits from them during the day. Familiar items such as air drill were this year performed on theso high-speed types. At many displays combats between squadrons took place. A feature of the day was a flight by Squadron Leader Stanforth in a Spitfire fighter from Nethcravon to Evanton, Scotland, and back —a total distance of IUOO miles—at' a speed of more than 300 miles an hour. The only accident during the day occurred near Manchester, where two members of the crew of a ’plane were critically injured in a crash. A private air demonstration to acquaint members of both Houses of Parliament and other distinguished visitors with the latest developments in R.A.F. aircraft and equipment will be given on Tuesday at Northolt. d bis will include a display of tho net %>t types of British service aircraft not, so far shown in public.