THRILLING AIR PAGEANT

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1929, Page 11

THRILLING AIR PAGEANT

DISTINGUISHED SPECTATORS REALISTIC DUEL SCARES CROWD. SPECTACULAR FEATS OF DARING. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian Press Association. Received July 14, 11 p.m. Sun Cable. London, July 13. The Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and ail the members of his Cabinet. Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith, Flight-Lieutenant C. T. P. Ulin and a hundred thousand people witnessed a thrilling air pageant at Hendon in brilliant weather to-day. Members of the Royal Air Force excelled themselves in feats of daring, all of which were performed without accident, though one duel was so realistic that 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 leaping from three giant bombers. Two of the parachutes touched in mid-air, but all made a safe landing. A novelty was the picking up of messages suspended between two lances, the pilots flying so low that a grapnel hookfitted to the 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.