EMPIRE AIR RACE

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1933, Page 5

EMPIRE AIR RACE

LONDON'- AUSTRALIA]

EXCLUDING FOREIGN ENTRIES

(Per Pre&s Association, Copyright)

AUCKLAND, December. 27. The advisability of making the -forthcoming air. race from 'England to -Australia purely an. Empire .event was stressed by Sir Walter Windham, a noted pioneer in the development of British aviation, who arrived at Auckland by the Monowai yesterday. - The race is to be held next ve:r in conjunction with the 'Melbourne /cep-L feniry celebrations, a large cash, prize having been offered by Sir Macpherspn 'Robertson. ■ -

"Unless Australia is aiming at. being a benefactor to the world in general, very little will be achieved, from the Empire’s point of view, by - - allowing foreign entries,” Sir Walter said. . “It i s : quite conceivable that^th®-.,.rapem.^^i, be won by a foreign aeroplane, Pr and* n c just as likely that a foreign pilot mn? be .at the control's. The result wou’d he neither 'England' nor Australia would-gain anything, but-the particular country which' had sponsored the winning aeroplane would benefit corfsiderably., . • “The race should be open only to British pilots, British aeroplanes and British engines., 'ln this wav.'the nrMmum advantages would be i-'ppfc vit’-’n the Empire, regardless of who won the race. The route. is- ' opLe; clearly yn Empire one. linking England and Australia, and-for that reason British firms should receiye most, consideration.”

If it was necessary to make the rare international,- ! St .Walter added, it would be quite poss ble' td donat, prices in three classes, r The first would be noen ,to British vaerdpla-nes and pilots, the second for ' forejgn' aeroplanes and British-. pilots, a hd jfhe ■ t-h : rd for foreign aeroplanes - piloted by.- f oreigners. When the first .aeroplane flights .were being made in' England; Sir -Walter took a. leading part, in organising and generally '“'fostering 'the’-'.hew means *’ of ' transport throughout; the country. 'As early, at 1908 be' founded the Aeroplane Club, and d’ater' .was .‘controller of ’the? first - aerial meetingj';; at. Dbncaster, in which'fie eptered , a monoplane built by himself. For the next few years he w-s engaged in extending the scope of avntiop throughout the Isles, and even ,gs far as India-,, by 'ipangmut?':. lag the .transport of jnails by air. '

' It is 47 ’years since ‘Sir Walter Windham Jast.came .tQ New-Zealand,. .hnLML—that occasion he' did not land in the country. He w,as travelling by the sailing vessel Dukq of . Athole, T6S to-.- , returning to England "from Australia. The "route lay through G,ook Strait and r, o uud --Cape Horn] Walter retailed' that Cook Sty&if*provided: a. spell of unpleasant weathervi vlltogetUbr r ,ho has been four times’' round th*>\ wbVM under sail between -1884 and 1888 Sir Walter, who. is accompanied 'b?' Lady Wind-ham,Vis making- a..,>vofld tour.and intends to renrin. several pionihs; in the Dominion'for trout and sain: m--fishing. . , , V.v'tv>' 'Vf