Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 2 April 1928, page 11


AIR PAGEANT.

Great Success.

MINISTER'S PRAISE. .

Over 100,000 People at

Mascot.

More than 30 aeroplanes participated In Saturdays aerlil | age mt which was the most successful of It« kind over held in the southern hemlsnhere The attendance at the \Tn«cot Aerodrome was estimated bv the police and nero club ofllclnls at from 120 000 to 150 000 of whom 100 000 -were in the aero drome grounds".

In the Aerial Dei by the cíaosle air iace of Australia four Stntes were eprcrenfed by c tillan competitors and représentatives ot Ihe Jioya! Aitstnllnn Mr Torce from the Richmond a 1 Point Cook depots and of the Civil Atlatlon Department also particl

Intel

When lir'Renting tíUtlals rf tho *. ew «outh Wiles section of the Aero Club of j>uf-hall. wlth the gift Avro Avian machine presented hj Sir Charles Wakefield the Minister for Défonce (Sir William Glnsgow) said that the club might justly feel proud for it wes the most sucres'-fil rlvll aviation training or gnnlsntlon in the Tm-iiro if not in tho whole

world

Sir M illlam expressed the detormimttion of the rcdernl Government to support in

otery woy possible the development of

civil aviation In Australia and added that ln«tructors and ofllclnls from othet train Ing clubs would be sent to Sjelney from time to time in or 1er that they might imbibe some of the enthusiasm of the Sjdnoy etecu

live anl lenrn how discipline tin 1 administra-tion should bo cnrrled out in civil flying or ganlsatlons

Tho Controller of Civil Aviation (Colonel Brinsmead) «tntcd that ho had never wit

nessed a more successful fljlnf? meeting He complimente 1 the executive of the club on the success of the flying school nt Mn'cot

One of the fen turon of the pageant was the wonderful showing made by Widgeon II de

signed mil built bj lMng Commander "Wac-kett nt the Randwick experimental workshons Despite the fact that the Wldg on is unable to attain full «peed until it has boen in the air for five minutes it averaged moro than 110 miles an hour for the course of 42 miles although it was carrjing two passengers

DI t rropMrNr or AWYTION

The object of the .ero Club in organising the pageant was to Increase interest ia aviation by provlllng the dlsplaj of fljlng and to raise finis In order to enlarge the seo] e of the clubs work for the develop

mont of aviation In the Commonwealth It is Interesting to note that under the mainte

ment of n committee of voluntan woikers the club has in loss than two yonrs grown into Iho larrest and mo«t "ucees ful fljlng club In the British I mpire Tho club Is not a proflt maklnr concern being simply an a'soclntion of per»ons Inteiested In the development of flylnf Training activities were commenced in August 112C with the co operation of the Commonwealth Government Ivo fewer than 51 civilians have gained their pilots license after being trained bj the club and 1C of them have ] nssed the advanced course of instruc-tion Throughout there has not boen a single accident involving Injury to Instructors pliplls or pntsenre'-s Although the club fleet now consists of sit aeroplanes It Is Impos-sible to cope with the demand for flying training and practice

_nr_ r-GEANT

Two things kept them on tiptoes-the ama_ Ing aerial displays and tho mud Practically the whole aerodrome was under water A frc engine had pumped the water away the previous night but when tho crowds began to pour in after midday the surfaeo water again began to accumulate The hundreds of chairs ?spread in the special enclosures were actually stnndlng In nn Inch or two of water Cars were bogged and dalntv shoes nnd sto Idn-v were ruined tn hundreds The club official« did their best to overcome the difllcullv Canga of men were sot nt work sprea lln" saw lu"¡t and gravel and the visitors accepte 1 their troubles philosophically

lA-n-itrsr IN DrRBi

Tbe outstanding event of the day of course was the Aerial Derbj Twenty throe machines were strung out over the ten milo course and tho competitors were in view nearly all the time Thoro wore all kinds of aeroplanes slow pro war models that climbed laborious!» Into the air nolsj crackling machines which seemed to get from the starting line to a point far over tho spectators heads In one boun 1 nnd dainty shining little biplanes that developed amazing bursts of speed

The crazy flvlng of Squadron Leader H G Smart lltonllj held the spectators spellbound He looped and tumble] hovered and flew up sido down shuffled sideways across the aero-drome not 20 jards above tho ground Never lind tho gasping crowd seen tho law of grnvi tntlon so audaciously defied

Other skilled and daring pilots of tho Aus

I trnllnn Air Force gave thrilling dlsplajs A. I fight between two aeroplanes was wonderfullv well staged-the llghtnlng-llko manoeuvring for position, the swift attack, the trlppllng of one machina b> trncer bullets, and Us fall In flames to the ground. Tile manner In which the "flames" wore managed, and the machine's swaying fall, viere most Ingenious, but were too realistic for a section of the crowd, which nctuallv believed that n serious mishap had

occurred.

Spectators were thrilled, too, by the attack on a tank by Air Force machines. The 'planes carne Swooping down In hair-raising fashion on the sluggish tank, climbing away again swiftly as the monster replied to their spatter of machino-suns with heavier weapons

WOMEN AVIATORS.

There was a stir in the crowd as the three women aviators appeared, rather nervously, and prepared for thoir race. The Oaks It was the first race of the kind In Australia. The girls took off easily, flew their machines over the course without a tremor, took part In an exciting finish and landed again gracefully and skilfully A little later Mrs. A. M. Upfold went up alone, .ind tumbled about In the sky In a display thnt is described bv a new

word-"aerobatics "

The club's most admlrnblo arrangements and organisation worked Interest gradually up to a climax Amplifiers were spread all over the wide aerodrome, and from a central point the ptesldent (Captain G. F. Hughes) told the peoplo what was coming upon the programme nett, anil explained the events as they took place Thus the pooplo understood many novel manoeuvres which otherwise might not have been so interesting to them.

AVItO AVIAX PRESENTED.

An intci eating event during tho afternoon was the formal ptosontntlon to the Aero Glub of the Avro Avian aeroplane given to the Commonwealth bv Sir Chntles Wakefield In locognltlon of Hinklet's flight.

The machine was flown Ii am Melbourne by Captain 11 W. I'etelvnl and, shining und new. wns a conspicuous objett on tLp .teiodiome and In the ali It vins fotnially bandi.! over to the club, In a bl let speech, by the Minister for Defenco (Sit William Glasgow) ou behalf of the Commonwealth Government. The gift was bi lolly and sttltablv acknowledged by the club's president, Captain G. F. Hughes Afteiwnrds, Sir William Clasgow made n fll"ht

In the machine.

There vins only one slight mishap durlug titi day. Pilot F. Drayton, iljlng a Do liai Uland Moth, was foiccd to make a quiek Inndlns after the Aeilal Delby. He rame down with-out damage in n paddock at Litany. It was discovered that au exhaust valve on the en-gine had broken.

Tho manner In which pilots o£ the Rojal Australian Air Tot ce handled their high-power machines was the subject of much favourable comment. It waa pointed out by expert« that if R A.A.F. oftlceis had fljlng machines Ih«

equal of those In use in Britain and the United 1 State', thov would be capable of equally gooa I

performances

Tin. AEiuvr. Di-itur

The Aerial Derby and the Aerial Derby Handicap were raced simultaneously The first aeroplane to pa<=s the finlshint, line «ot tho winner of the Aerial Delby Handicap The winner of tho Aerial Derby wns the nero plane which completed the course lu the fast

tst time

1 light Lieut h Paton was first in th» Aerial Derby and Captain 1. J Jones third but they were both disqualified when a re-port was received from tho observers that they had cut t! e ca~ ers

The result of the Derby was as foll-ws -De Havllland DA 400 h p I Ibertv cn.lue entrant

Bl-l pilot UMIR Olllccr M Aliilrnnev 1 Mjiiti. time, 20m 2 - Average need lil miles an hour

De H-villind DA 4U0h p Lil eitj engine ci tränt HU!, pilot, Hjing Oltieer Joue- > Hi.n" tillie ¿lm 1 s Average t-peeo 118 tulles ml hour

AA idgeon II Anipliihi in 41st h i Jie.uir euuiiie en traut, li A \ i pilot AA inn Commun 1er I I AA te kelt 3 FltlnE time 23m 7s Aterage speed 100

miles an h or

Other corni etUors were -

Curtiv- JN4 JO tip CurtU- 0X6, entrant ti AA

Ross II AA lio G piled

Ireland Cnmtt IK) h | Curtiss 0X5 Airways of Aus

trilla I! Il l-otdtn

De lliilllind Alith ' '7/n0 hp Citrus UKI Aero Cb li S «> AA Ci| lilli P (. Taj lor

Ue Hit illn d 1! ith -"/CO h p Cirrus MK I Aero Club N b AA G1 Mallet

ile II n ¡lim I ' Moth '"/W Cirrus MIv 1 Aero Club S * VA 1 AA <-h.ortr.di,.

De Hitillnnd Moth' 31 SI bp Cirrus MK II (.olden Airerift Cn Ltd i \ Dravton

De Hat illari ] Moth -0/--O li p Cirni Ilk II Civil At ition Depaitmcut Capt lill *. AA .ollett

De lliv Ila id Moth HI» h p Cirrus MK 11 Aero C1 lb S « AA I! \A Rd I

De Hit Uland Moth JI)/<0 h p Cirrus lilt li Qujn

tas ltd 1. J llnln

De Hat Ullin ! \ Moth WHO bp Cirrus Mh II Jilhil- liiseiifell Mu Hn-enfeld

De Until ml \ Moth 10 SO bp Cirni« MK II Hunmnnl Aerial Trant-pnrt Co II T Iliiiiiini ntl

DP llatilbnl \" Moth au/eo hp Cirrus llh li

Aero Club S S AA S ! Moir

Irclaii ! Meteor ' 00 h p Curtiss 0 X 6 S t

Ttler S I* Tiler

AA estland 111 Monoplane W«0 hp CIrrut Mh II

Milton C bent Milton C kent

De Hat lunn I Se ¡il \ Molh TC/SO hp Cirni» MIv I! Major II De Huillín! Major II De Ilnlllanl

üri-tni Tourer 210 h p Siddeley 1'unin - T

O Dei F T O Dei ..

Ile Huillín I r0A SOO li p Nimbus Cull Aviitlon

Drtt Cn tain 1 1 lone«

De Until..nd 0 300 b p Mmbus II A A F , Flight

Lieut ! »ton

De Hit 111 md X 30 c0 bp Mirk II Hijor De Ilaull.it n - 11 idreu lei 1er II C Smart

AFimr. DI IlltV HANDICAP The Aerial Deri v Han llcnp resulted -

Ile lim Ulm I Aleth -n -l h p Urtu« MK II entrlnf entrant (Jiuntis ltd pilot L. I Brain handlcip Stn

Ctirti-5 IN4 00 h p Curtí« O 5 engine entrant 11

IA Ut pilot II AA lln-e Dm ".< _.

Ile Hit Uland Moth an 81 h p Cirru« MIv II emite entrant Tolden Aircraft Co ltd F N Drnjton

-111 -IK J

OTIIHt I FSUITS

C1 lb Trained Pilots Hindieai -1 innl (t»o hp«: of tour-c 21 mile«) -O N Mills 1 G llenrv 2 C I! lergu on 1 Time inn 3d 4 5s Aterae,e si e*11 of ti Inner cl mile« in hour

Ol ! AAar Docs Ihndlrap -rinal (two laps of the course '1 in les) -Captain P C Tailor ,-cr 1 Cipliin A AA Ho - lm 17- - Ciptnin li AV Held lm 1*« a Time 15m Es AA Inner s averuce i-i ee 1 hi miles in hour

Uni trihi I Pilot« Aernlitlc« Contest -I H Clni-PÜic s point. 1 Nell !. Steuart "0 points 2

The Imrder« llnndlcan lnjm -II AA Ho- (urti« 1\4 In 4-« 1 I I llnln De Hivilaul Mnth lm ii' 2 II T Himmond De Hut Uland \ Moth 5rj« a Time Om 30 2 o' Average speed 00 2 mile« per

hoir

The Oik« ' 10* mile« for «omen pilot« tnlne-l by the rlub-Ml«« M Ileirdnn 1 Mrc A M Hi foi I Î M!«s I A! I nile« 3 lime !)m 4S« Aterage speed

OG mile« ner hour