IMPOSING DISPLAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23044, 23 May 1938, Page 9

IMPOSING DISPLAY

BRITISH AIRCRAFT MASS FORMATION FLIGHTS EMPIRE AIR DAY ADVANCE DEMONSTRATION By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (.Received May 22, 6.52 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, May 21 More than 400 aircraft will visit 170 cities and towns in Britain early next week, when 10 mass formation flights will be carried out by the Royal Air Force. These flights will be an advance demonstration ol : the part to be played by the Air Force on Empire Air Day, next Saturday, when 58 Air Force stations and many civil aerodromes will be "at home" to the public. One of tho mass parades will consist of 56 fighters, which will take a course around the outskirts of London. Others will consist of bombers, and two of these will include London in their course. There will be 60 bombers in a string and London will be reached after a long flight over the west of England. The second string to visit London will comprise 42 twin-engined Handley Pace Harrows and Heyfords. The biggest procession of all will be touring the Western Midlands in the meantime. It will include four types of bombers and 80 aeroplanes, which will include Boulton and Paul Sidestrands, Hawker Hinds, Fairey Battles and Bristol Blenheims. Further north there will be visits b;y 12 Hawker Hinds and 18 Bristol Blenheims flying as separate formations to Lincoln, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Birkenhead, Chester, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Stoke-on-Trent, Worsop, Mansfield, Newark and Grantham. The duty of showing the flag in the north-east will be Undertaken by 45 Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys and Handley Page Harrows.