THRILLING AIR PAGEANT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20307, 15 July 1929, Page 11

THRILLING AIR PAGEANT.

DARING FEATS AT HENDON. MILITARY AVIATORS' SKILL. SURPRISES FOR VAST CROWD. Australian and Is"./. Press Association. (Received .1 lily It. 11.35 p.i 11.) LONDON, July in. Tlio Prince of Wales, (ho DuEo ami Duchess of York, (lie Prime Minister. Mr. M;icI)oii;i1(I, find all tlio members of Ins Caliinet, Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith and Flight-Lieutenant Uhn- were among 100,000 people who witnessed .1 thrilling air pageant at Hendon in brilliant weather.

The members of tlio Royal Air I'orce excelled themselves in feats of daring, all of which were performed without an accident, although one duel was so realistic that the spectators thought a real crash had taken place until they saw the aeroplane reappear and land safely.

One of the features of the display was the parachute descents by six men who leaped from three giant bombers. '1 wo parachutes touched each other in mid-air, but all the men made a safo landing.

One novelty was tlio picking up of messages suspended between two lancers, the pi lots (lying so low that a grapnel hook fitted to tlio bottom of the aircraft collected the messages as they passed. The concluding air battle, in which imitation harbour buildings were destroyed, was as near an aerial fight as could be desired.