PAGEANT OF THE AIR

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1930, Page 7

PAGEANT OF THE AIR

DISPLAY AT HENDON

FORMATION FLYING

LONDON, June 12,

Not many hours after the British Air Force had bombed the caves which sheltered the forces of the Haji df Turanzai, near Peshawar, a few privileged spectators watched at Hendon preparations for the annual Royal Air Force pageant. j'lie mass manoeuvring of 54 maohines was vividly suggestive of active service discipline. ' Low clouds and gusty wind made the close formation work extremely difficult, but the day !_/ m hers liew past “dressed” almost

with the precision of foot soldiers. A very high degree of concentration is req ured from the pillots in this close formation flying. They watch the slightest movements of the leader and attempts to anticipate his alterations in speed and course'. Many people imagine that formaation flying by this large number of machines is a recent innovation. A formation of 57 British aeroplanes engaged an approximately number of hostile machines in the battle on the Sorrime front as early as 1917. The only difference between those early formations and the present-day method is that the aeroplanes keep closer together than they did during the war, when a certain scope for individual manoeuvre was caseiitial to every machine,

The display at- Hondon is confined to service pilots, and there will be a series of spectacular evolutions on the “parade ground of the skies,” The susceptibilities of pacifists will not be offended 'by this year’s display. It will depict an air raid on a pirate’s 'air., which is a task that the League of Nations might ask our Air Force to undertake.

The King and Queen are to attend this display. Last year, owing to his illness, the King was unable to l>e present, and this was the'first of the air pageants from which he. had been absent since the event was , inauguiated. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of ' York will also be . in the Royal enclosure. The King has af ways' been interested in aviation, and the flying,, feat® of the P.riftce 'of Wales have greatly stimulated‘his, interest in it as vell as in the Air Force.