First Aerial Derby

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 643, 20 April 1929, Page 1

First Aerial Derby

Riders of the Sky Show Paces

Auckland Yields to Lure of Aircraft

1 IRMEN of New Zealand were aloft to-day when, on the wings of the wind, were W Staged unusual events, the first aerial •* a. races conducted on any scale in the - Dominion. ' ie -‘Auckland Aero Club's pageant ■ y ~’’ . yielded a new thrill for jaded palates. - -—- —" Round a loop 38 miles in circumference, tt ith its boundary posts the immemorial T ' ~ r '' 1 crests of the old volcanoes, swept the riders in the first New Zealand Aerial Derby, t "Their steeds were tried and trusted machines, fleet, and <; graceful, and the riders themselves, many of them, war pilots of distinction and experience.

i"kVER Mangere airdrome and neighbourliood hung the drone of steadily pulsing machines. Aloft swooped the bird men, and round the boundaries of the drome extended steadily deepening lines of cars, banking in greater and greater numbers as the early afternoon advanced. It was a programme flavoured with novelty and zest. Even the atmosphere—an atmosphere of new mechanical features, pilots in strange garb, and assistants trained to the jargon of a new profession—was to most something new and absorbing. When the flotilla of planes winged its way over the city soon after 9 o’clock, taking clerks from their stools and city shoppers from their bargains to witness the rare sight of aircraft in symmetrical formation, brilliant sunlight gleamed through their translucent wings, gilded the seemingly impalpable tracery of their structure, and gave promise with its background of deep blue of a day enriched by summer warmth. This early promise did not completely hold true. Out on the drome the guiding “wind-sock” on the flagpole of the hangar billowed steadily in a cold east breeze. Searching in and out among the car ranks, the wind persisted under a clouding sky. So much seemed to the crowds of picnicwatchers to be an adverse move on the part of the weather. It was really nothing of the kind. The grey skyformed a perfect background against which the crowd saw the manoervring planes without discomfort. No glare beat down to impede the view, though the sky cleared considerably in the afternoon.

THE ROADS TO MANGERE To say all roads led to Mangere would be incorrect. There was only the one road to the airdrome, but it was a road on which, from ten o’clock on, a flow of traffic was maintained in constantly increasing volume. The biggest rush set in soon after noon, when hosts of city toilers, freed from the shackles that had held them reluctantly during the morning, set out in almost every sort of motor conveyance toward the scene of the largest air pageant ever staged in the Dominion.

Buses kept up a constant service, yet were crowded to uncomfortable capacity all day. An admirable system of patrols and direction-indicators reduced the confusion and congestion that otherwise would have been inevitable. Alen on Point duty, in police uniform, in the A.A.A. uniform, or other garb less distinctive, lined the road and showed the way.

Where the long road begins its wide sweep round the gently undulating fields in which the airdrome is set, there the first hint of the day's activities could be seen. The white canopy °i a large marquee showed even more conspicuously than the hangar. Cars were grouped about in heavy masses °r dark black lines. The movement of tnany people was discernible from a iar. And strung across the field, the centre of every glance, was an orderly lank of airplanes, twelve in number. fascinating spectacle The fascination of aircraft was ra PUy enjoyed by a crowd fully representative of a country that has yet had comparatively few opoprtunities to develop its air sense. Even as they my in their motionless platoon, the Wanes made a fine sight. The fleet of “oths, graceful and yet practicable, m *de up the bulk of the novel comAt one end stood the Blackburn luebird, a machine of grace yet of distinctive contours. At the other stood the sturdy, powerful Bristol rater. AJI about these craft circled r »ngely apparelled men. pilots with wir heavy leather coats swaying s oly from their forms, or in work* dhnlike overalls with immense patch ■octets on the thighs. Their goggles over their temples, their furI,Jr caps pulled carelessly about the “ mtil the moment for action ara'l these things contributed ata Wj® re - Mechanics in overalls, club H-.,, 1 *® 18 in plus fours or ordinary rh„ ’ these swelled the crowd of til e envied initiate. Posu Un ? the haflßar and in strategic Dollr a * on £ the fences stood many a Thei ei ? an • Some were mounted men. 6 HEin ° orses shuffled uneasily as the and ft" t * le machines spluttered, tw. Propellers whizzed. Then fr om “*• chocks were pulled away '-afleii i wlle els, and the machines rj ce ; ato starting position for the Ainpri ese mounts that had been of, J* to the exacting requirements *PtroV J i° ril age s h° we< d genuine dis--M of these strange new crea-

lions, and once or twice gave evidence of real alarm. LOUD SPEAKERS IN ACTION A loud speaker was in action from the side of the hangar. Its stern voice warned people in the members’ enclosure against the deadly sin of parking their ca>rs too close to the fence. Movie men and camera men climbed with more enterprise than caution to the ridge of the hangar. They ducked, as did people in closed cars, when machines finishing in the Derby heats swooped low over their heads. The real thrills began when, after some delay, half a dozen machines moved into position at the bottom of the field for the first heat of the Derby. The crowd’s wandering attentions were focussed at once when the unanimous cry was raised: ‘‘They're off.” It was almost reminiscent of the stands at Elierslie, only here there was no searching through glasses at the far side of the course, only a quick twist of the head toward the sky, where the fleet craft were racing to a moderate altitude. Some of them, as a fact, stayed very low. They might almost have grazed the pines feathering distant Mangere mountain as they banked round that first mark of the course. In the second heat nine machines participated, the stocky but powerful Bristol fighter being last away, a scratch candidate. The flotilla made a fine sight as it swept away toward the first mark in attenuated formation. Captain Burrell in the Bristol made steady ground, and his superior speed was evident even from a distance, though he had the obstacle of very heavy leeway to make up. N.Z. AERIAL DERBY The big race on the programme, the aerial Derby, being the first race of its kind instituted in the Dominion, is called the New Zealand Aerial Derby, and is to be held annually. It was flown over a triangular course, six miles between each point. The Mangere Mountain and the Ihumatao Mountain were the two main landmarks which the competitors had to fly round. Results: First Heat Captain J. Seabrook, A.F.C., D.H. Moth (Auckland Aero Club), 25 seconds .. t Major K. Caldwell, M.C., D.F.C., D.H. Moth (Auckland Aero Club, 25sec - Six planes competed in this heat and they formed an imposing sight as they lined up, with engines racing, ready for the start. Lieutenant Keith, in a Blackburn Bluebird, was first away, but he pulled out before gaining altitude, owing to engine trouble. In quick succession Captain White, Major Caldwell and Captain Seabrook, all m DII Moth planes, roared aloft after a short run. The two first-named went wide of their bank over the hangar, while Captain Seabrook cut in to manage the lead, with the other two pilots and Captain Hall in his Avro not far behind. In the meantime Captain Findlay in the N.Z.A.F. Moth, off scratch, hovered above, to get a flying start and follow Mr. Douglas Mill off 20 seconds. It was quite apparent that some of the pilots lost the course at one stage of the race and missed one ot the land-marks. Although at times appearing as though mere specks in cjie sky, it was possible to view all the planes throughout the race, but as it was difficult to distinguish one machine from the other, considerable :n----terest was lost. In a s i ir^ infc v Captain Seabrook. who had retained his lead throughout the race, roared over the winning post, followed closely by Major Caldwell. The other planes were some distance behind. The starters were: Captain M. Buckley, D.H. Moth, N.Z.A.F.. scr.; Mr. D. Mill D.H. Moth. 20 sec.; Captain J. Seabrook, A.F.C., D.H. Moth, Auckland Aero Club 25sec: Major K. Caldwell, M.C., D.F.C.. D.H. Motn, Auckland Aero Club. 25sec: Captain T W White. D.H. Moth. Hawke’s Bay a ero Club, 30sec.: Captain K. Hall, Avro Avian. 30sec: Lieutenant lan Kefth, Blackburn Bluebird, Southern Cross Airways. 60sec. ON OTHER PAGES SATURDAY. APRIL 20 IPr Joseph Ward’s Career g 2 | General News.. • • - 7 Artic.es .. | ‘•Citizens Say g Watch Tower .. •• •• *• ;; 9 British and Fore 9 -jo an( j n Turf 11 Imance and Markets \\ General and Late News .. —— 15 S°u U c^and h St S o h ck W Ex=ban 9 e (feature) 17 Magazine Features ■ 22 and 23 Social News - ■ ’ 24 !‘otu relays'and Players . . ;; §| A Jest or Two " 29 r,,, the Land 30 and Poultry ; ; 31 Children’s Page 32 j Illustrations .• ••