THE AIRWAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 639, 16 April 1929, Page 14

THE AIRWAY

By

"THE ROC”

A FEW months ago there was not an aero club functioning in New Zealand. To-day, they are scattered throughout the country, and an illustration of the astounding progress they have made, in training young pilots, stimulating airmindedness and promoting and popularising civil flying generally, will be served by the Auckland Aero Club’s naereant to be stayed at Ihumatao Airdrome next Saturdav.

QEEING is believing—and the pageant next Saturday is the first and golden opportunity given John Citizen to fully realise the great advance made in civil flying. In a mild way it even falls as his duty to attend the gathering and so gain interest in a project, which is a direct forerunner to a new and important form of transport, and a form of defence w r hich, in the near future, is bound to become supreme. Aviation and its advance is a matter of national importance. Smaller displays, of little significance, have been staged from time to time, while the majority of New Zealanders have seen planes stunting. Rut Saturday’s gathering will be the first of its particular kind organised for tlte purpose of catering for all aero clubs in the Dominion, as well as any private owners of planes. It could well be termed a Dominion championship carnival, and will feature thrilling and spectacular aerial manoeuvres by a large quota of varied types of planes, piloted by distinguished pilots hailing from all parts of the country. AN INTERESTING PROGRAMME The pageant will open with a graud “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 I.oooft. 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 in other countries, and seldom fails to stimulate considerable interest among the spectators. An aerial Derby will be staged over two laps of 12 miles, the winner to receive the Kohn 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 .sting, will be the bombing of an ammunition dump. The New Zealand Engineers will assist in this “turn,** WSI, in w hich two home planes will lead A

an attack against the bombing machines. It is most evident from the arrangements already in hand that the officials of the Auckland Aero Club aive doing their utmost to make the pageant as attractive and interesting as possible. Of all the thrills and excitement to be provided by the list of varied novelty events, those to be given by Mr. N. Jonassen, of Thames, with his parachute, are likely to raise the hair of the most daring onlooker. Nerve-wracking acrobatic stunts in mid-air performed on a trapeze fastened to the undercarriage of an airplane—leaping from a plane at a height of 3,000 ft with a parachute, with trapeze bar attached,

to stunt and perform unusual and breath-taking antics during the gentle glide from the dizzy heights to earth. This is a description of some of the thrilling manoeuvres to be undertaken •by this daring and skilful aeronaut. The performance on the trapeze attached to the undercarriage of the plane, will be given at a low altitude of about 100£t. Clinging to the trapeze bar, dangling from under the machine, which will circle at a speed not less than 80 miles an hour, Mr. Jonassen will perform various balancing feats. As with other interesting novel events on the programme, this exhibition, being staged close to the ground, will be best Witnessed from the public enclosure on the airdrome. Those lining the road with the hope of getting a “free show” will consequently be sadly disappointed.