AIR PAGEANT SUCCESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20236, 22 April 1929, Page 14

AIR PAGEANT SUCCESS.

IMPRESSIVE EXHIBITION.

3FINE RACE IN AERIAL DERBY

SPEED OF 120 MILES AN HOUR.

/■MANY THRILLS FOR SPECTATORS.

Tho pastures and mud fiats of Mangero provided a setting on Saturday for tho largest and most successful exhibition of air sports y.et held in New Zealand. To the. majority of tho gathering of over .10.000 spectators all was novel and thrill* Twelve aeroplanes assembled to roar round/tho aerodrome at 80 niilps an hour with uncanny ease. Thero was no tinkering with refractory engines. Tho machines wero ever ready for their fascinating performance. Ono would find n much lower standard of reliability at pn automobijo raco meeting. Flying into the sun with their scarlot, follow and green fuselages and their shimmering silver wings, tho aeroplanes vqjiie as graceful as gliding gulls. Tumbling from tho clouds as casualties in mock battlo they seemed frail, tho playthings of gravity, until their 100 horse.-powor engines cut in and they fcoompd again at full throttle. Machines and Their Pilots. Following' wero tho machines and Ipilots participating in tho pageant: — [Auckland Aero Club, threo Gipsy Moths [(.Major G. A. C." Cowpor, Major K. Caldwell, .Captain E. Dickson, Captain J. Captain D. Harkness); J-fawke's Bay AjSro-Club, Cirrus Moth ;( Captain T, White); Marlborough Aero Ciub, Gipsy Moth (Captain. Chandler); Canterbury ■ Aero Club, Gipsy lloth [(Captain <J. C.. Mercer) ; Air. Force, Gipsy Moth (Captain J. U Findlay); L\ir Force, Bristol Fighter (Captain S. Burrell); Hamilton Airways, Gipsy Juoth (Captain M. C. McGregor) ; Air Transport Company, Gipsy Moth. (Mr. F. D. Mill and Mr. J. Smith); Southern Cross Airways, Blackburn Bluebird . (Lieutenant 1.. Keith); lAvro Avian (Captain K. Hall). The judges were: Major T. M. Wilkes, Director of Air Services, Major L. M. Jsit't, and Mr. G. Henning. Tho pageant opened witti a % P' in line, headed by Major Caldwell, captain of the Auckland Aero Club. The machines circled at a height of several hundred feet, dipping to about 50 feet in front of tho hangar and then soaring (accurately. Tho nearness of tho barking exhausts and the buzz of the propellers caused hundreds of heads to bob as ihough decapitation was threatened. The instinctive movement was typical of a gathering not yet appreciating the security of the air. Balloon-bursting Contest. 'A balloqn-bursting or "strafing" competition, led • Major Caldwell, Captain Dickson and Captain McGregor in a chase across country at a low altitude. Tho two dozen gas-filied balloons, tossed .willy nilly in a brisk south-east wind, nvere not an easy mark for the swooping aviators./ The pursuit continued until the balloons wero black specks, Cap'tain McGregor having scored four and Captain Dickson twu.-

Five Moths, piloted by Major Cowper, SdKjor Caldwell, Captain Seabrook, Captain McGregor and Captain Dickson, rose 'to about 1300 ft. for formation flying. Headed .by the club's captain's machine t.he flight came overhead in a wedge, .which became a straight line at a given signal. Wheeling like birds over the shores of the Manukau Harbour, the line came back. The sign to loop was given and within a few seconds of completing the evolution the aeroplanes .were again in single file. A Streak from a Yerev pistol in the 'directing / machine was the signal for Captain McDonald to drop out. His Moth tumbled, as though disabled, for about 500 ft., and then landed. Major Caldwell's, ■machino- then dived, sideslipped and. rolled, cutting the smoko trail, from :t he Verey pistol. Bombing "Ammunition Dump;

/ Captain Findlay's Moth and the Bristol gave a display of aerial tactics, climbing 'and spiralling round one another as though to gain a point ot vantage from which to administer a deathknock. Captain Findlay also gave a spectacular exhibition, floating against the wind with decreasing speed until almost /fefc stalling-point. Major Cowper rose to 1600 ft., and described an exciting headlong spin, The piece de resistance was the bombing of an ammunition dump guarded with a i machine-gun. Impressive from the ground, it was more intriguing from the passenger's ~ "seat in an attacking' aeroplane. Iho bombing machines were piloted by Captain Burrell, : Captain Seabrook, and Captain White. Three escorting Moths were in charge of Captain Mercer, Captain Chandler, and Captain McGregor. Captain Harkness, Captain Findlay, and Mr". J. Smith piloted the defending Moths. The bombers approached, guarded above by theiy escorts. Below, the aerodrome spread out with its thousands of upturned faces hemmed in by motor-cars parked in straggling rows and giving the effect of a huge/ chessboard. Ihe observer in one of the lower planes could be seen groping for a bomb. Iho machine dived steeply, a black object slipped into space, and to the accompaniment of showers of debris on the "dump," Verey shots, and rifle and machine-gun fire, the mock attack proceeded. Results of Competitions.

! Following arc results of tiro competitive Events:—

AERIAL DERBY. j First Heat. .Moth/(Captain Seabrook), 255. .. 1 Moth (Major Caldwell), 255. .. 2 Also Started.—Moth (F. D. Mill), ficr.; Sloth (Captain Findlay), st-r.; Moth |(Captdn White), 30s; Avt'o Avian (Capstain Hall). .The raco was run over a triangular 3.2-miles course round Mangero and 2humatao Mountains. Two of the machines took a shortened courso hy inistako nnd finished early. Captain Seibrook's .{Moth flew a very low course and wasted nothing on the turns. Major Caldwell's machine pame up fast on the last straight fconje and only three lengths separated *bo Moths when they raced over the hangar. F. D. Mill was third. """ .. Second Heat. Moth (Captain Harkness), 30s «« \ [Moth (Captain Dickson), 2fis . v .. 2 f Also Started.—-Moth (Captain Chand--ser), 20s; Blackburn Bluebird (Lieut. ■ 60s j. Moth (Captain Mercer),; Smith); Moth (Captain Mc(CapUin' Earrell), scr; Moth (Major Covert ' '

The Blackburn Bluebird was about 300 yds. on tho way before the second machine took off, but it was soon overhauled by tho field. Several competitors again took the wrong turn, but Captain Harkness, Captain Dickson, and Captain Mercer provided a good finish within three lengths of one another.

Final. llerald Moth (Captain Seabrook), 2s 1 Moth (Captain Harkness), scr. .. 2 Also Started.—Moth (Captain Dickson), ss; Moth (Major Caldwell), 30s. Piloting the Moth Herald, Captain Seabrook made the paco very fast from tho start. Ho elected to fly low, rather than gain altitudo for a high speed divo at tho finish. Over the irregular country ho was practically "hedge hopping," displaying considerable skill in the bumpy patches near tho trees. An air speed of 112 miles an hour was reached in several places, and for a timo Captain Seabrook and Captain Harkness raced neck and neck over tho beach. Tho Herald Moth won by about two lengths. Captain Dickson was close up in third place, but was unable to mako up in his finishing dive what ho had lost in climbing. Major Caldwell piloted tho lower-powered Hawko's Bay Cirrus Moth, and was unable to achieve much abovo 88 miles an hour. Timo, 7m.

LANDING COMPETITION. Moth (Captain Findlay) .. . . 1 Moth (Major Cowper) . . . * . . 2 Moth (Captain "White) 5 For tho landing competition the machines ascended to 1000 ft. Tho engines were then cut off and tho machines were required to glide without power and corno to rest in a circle on the aerodrome.

FUTURE OF FLYING.

FILLIP TO THE MOVEMENT.

MESSAGE FROM MINISTER

Tho Auckland Aero Club issued tho following statement yesterday:— "Tho club expresses its gratitude to thoso who contributed to tho success of tho pageant, and to tho thousands of patrons. It is tho intention of tho club to mako repayment through service to tho Dominion. The committee emphasises that tho primary purposo of tho pageant was tho education of tho public in aviation. Aeroplanes camo from all parts of the Dominion to participate. Their journeys wero made in very fast timo compared with other means of transport. In every case the flying schedules wero strictly maintained. "The club also wishes to acknowledge tho service rendered to aviation by ono of its guests at tho pageant, Mr. Charles Todd, of Dunedin, who recently purchased an aerodromo and vested it in tho Dunedin City Council. Tho Otago, Canterbury and Marlborough Clubs have now permanent aerodromes. The Auckland Aero Club has not the advantage of Secured tenure."

Tho following telegram was received by the club on Saturday from the Minister of Defence, the Hon. T. M. Wilford:— "I send to you and all thoso taking part in your pageant to-day my best wishes for a successful gathering, and hope you will bo favoured with good weather. As Minister in chargo of tho New Zealand Air Force I am deeply interested in the fostering of an air sense in our citizens, and I realise that much can bo done in this country by approved light aeroplane clubs if conducted on sound lines. May I urgo on all concerned to observe at all times the motto, 'Safety First.' " The pageant trophies were presented at Dixieland Cabaret on Saturday evening by Mrs. K. Caldwell. Yesterday the organiser of the pageant, Mr. L. W. Swan, received inquiries regarding club membership from casual motorists who witnessed the flying from a distance and were so impressed that they desired a closer association with tho movement.