AIR PAGEANT OPENS AT NEW PLYMOUTH

Chronicle (Levin), 22 February 1947, Page 5

AIR PAGEANT OPENS AT NEW PLYMOUTH

r o- — — — nr • -i ; XEW PLYAIOUTHV Feb. 21: T. XT. Silk, iristructor to the Wanganui Aero Club since it resumed ojierations last year, and a former R.A.F. Coastal Command pilot, won the first event of the Royai XT.Z. Aero Club's first postivar national air pagdant at Xew Plyinoutli today. This was the Gloucester Cup navigation eontest which, before the war, was eompeted for aimually and wliieh was conducted in conjunction with the zero hour landing competition. The X'elson Aero Club pilot, F. N. Havvorth, was runner-up. The Gloster Cup eontest was conducted over the last 100 miles of the eourse of aircraft en route from their home airports to New .Plymoutii. It was the only event completed today. Competition for the Bledisloe Trophy which is a test af slcill in airmaxisliip, landing and navigation, was begun today and will be completed tomorro.w morning. Although these.two events were lield today, the pageant- Virtually begins tomorrow with a long programme of flying events in which aircraft from almost every Aero Club in Xew Zealand 're participat'ing. Corsair and Mos({uito fighters, a Harvard trainer and iludson Reece bomber from Ohakea will joih 50 cliib machines in a mass formation fliglit over Xew Plymoutii tomorrow and qiilitary and Aero Cluli aircraft will *treat the public to a fly past and exhibition of aerdbatics. The Air Force detachment will- be under the command of Squadron Leader D. St George, D.F.C., Auckland.