AERIAL PAGEANT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 637, 13 April 1929, Page 13

AERIAL PAGEANT

Big Flying Display for Auckland MACHINES FROM SOUTH Featuring thrilling and spectacular aerial manoeuvres by numerous and varied of planes, piloted by disti n garnished pilots irom all parts of the {dominion, the Auckland Aero Club’s pageant to be staged at the Ihu'matoa airdrome next Saturday week promises to be the finest demonstration of its kind ever stacked in New Zealand. Although smaller displays have been staged from time to time, .mostly by military and private aircr&ift, this gathering will be the first organised for the purpose of catering for all aero clubs in the Dominion. It may be termed a “free for all,” and should serve to illustrate tlie astounding; progress made in aviation during the s-hort period in which the aero clubs have been actively functioning. The programme for this initial meet-.' ing, which in every form will closely, resemble those staged with such popularity anu enthusiasm in England, is', not yet available, but it is announced ( that five events have been definitely chosen. The pageant will open with a grand “fly past,” in which every machine present will participate. This will be followed by a landing competition, in which the contestants will ascend to a height of 1,000 feet, cut off their engines, and glide down in an endeavour to alight like a feather within a marked circle. This event has proved to be the most keenly contested at the numerous flying gatherings held V other countries, and seldom fails to { stimulate considerable interest among the spectators. An aerial Derby will l?e staged over two laps of 12 mi!es£ the winner to receive the Kohh Cup. Five pilot members of the' Auckland Aero Club will give a display of formation flying, while the final event of the day, and by no means the least interesting, will be the bombing of an ammunition dump. The Xew Zealand Engineers will assist in this “turn.” in which two home planes will lead an attack against the bombing machines.

j machines. MACHINES FROM SOUTH The Aero Club’s secretary, Mr. L. H. I Swan, now a busy man making arrangements for the big event, has received correspondence from various ; clubs and private concerns confirming the proposal for them to take part in the display. The Hawke’s Bay Club’s machine, piloted by Instructor T. W. ("Tiny”) White, will be present, while Captain Chandler and Mr. MacDonald, instructor and secretary of the Marlborough Club respectively, both intend to make the trip Xorth in one of the Government Moths. The Canterbury Aero Club is endeavouring to dispatch n plane, while two others who will definitely take part in the pageant will be Mr. K. Hall, of Hororata, in his Avro-Avian, and Captain MacGregor, in a Moth recently purchased by a Hamilton company. Apart from the Auckland Aero Club’s three machines, other Auckland planes will include Mr. D. Mills’s Moth, and the Southern Cross Airways’ machine, the Blackburn Bluebird. There is also a possibility that one or two Government machines will be present from the Wigram airdrome, Christchurch.