’PLANES COLLIDE IN AIR PAGEANT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 63, 16 March 1931, Page 5

’PLANES COLLIDE IN AIR PAGEANT.

ONE BADLY DAMAGED, BUT PILOTS UNHURT

Per Press Association. MASTERTON, March 15. Ideal weather prevailed for the official North Island air pageant which was held on Saturday at Masterton, about seventy pilots and over thirty machines participating. The flying was of a high standard. The New Zealand Government’s Gloster Grebe suffered slight damage when landing after a demonstration, the tail skid being broken and the rudder damaged. * A mishap in the Herald Cup marred this event, two ’planes touching when travelling at a speed of about 100 miles an hour land a height of 200 feet. The ’planes concerned were two Moths piloted by Messrs B. W. Boys (Hawke’s Bay) and P. C. Lewis (Auckland), both of whom had remarkable escapes from injury. The mishap occurred in the final lap of the race in the straight. It was reported that Mr Boys was passing Mr Lewis when his wing tip touched the fuselage of the other ’plane. Mr Lewis’s propeller was damaged, Mr Boys’s left wing and propeller being splintered. Mr Lewis went into a wide spiral, struck a fence and overturned, the ’plane being badly damaged. Mr Boys landed skilfully in a mangold field, slightly damaging his undercarriage. The machine was not badly damaged. The official opening of the Hood Aerodrome took place during the afternoon. Results were:—

Landing Competition, A Pilots—T. Hudson (Otago) 1, R. O. Brown (Hawke’s Bay) 2, H. Gardiner (Wellington) 3. Newbigin Cup Flight-Lieutenant Buckley 1, Flying-Officer Olson (Otago) 2, Captain Stedman 3.

Herald Cup—C. M. Duthie (Wellington) 1, A. V. Jury (Wairarapa) 2. Landing, B Pilots—F. M’Donald (Wellington) 1, Squadron-Leader Findlay 2, Flight-Lieutenant Buckley 3. Aerobatic Competition—D. M. Allan (Auckland) 1.