PLANES IN THE WIND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 823, 18 November 1929, Page 11

PLANES IN THE WIND

aerial battles against ELEMENTS EXCITEMENT AT WELLINGTON WKLUNUTOX. Today. An amu ing side to the Wellington air pageant, held at Kongotiu on Saturday. was the fact that the main iveut of the day, the Air Derby, was flown without the crowd of spectators realising that it had taken place. Much ahead of time-table, the oflitials in charge of the arrangements decided that the public was not • relishing the blustery day, with its dast-laden wind, and decided to conclude the programme as soon as possible. With planes Hying In all directions, the four-mile i>erby course was not recognised by the crowd, and after tlie race was run the donor of the t up for the Derby was leaving for home disappointed that the event had been cancelled because of the “choppy” conditions übovr*. He received the news that the race was completed with some surprise.* After o'clock dust storms pelted the unfortunates about the official stand, while the men of the loth Bat-, tery tried vainly to keep the crowd in check. The arrangements were : not helped by the fact that the loud j speakers designed to announce the 1 events worked only at moments, tlieir tones vanishing before the wind. ~ ASCENT BY MAYOR . During the afternoon the Mayor. Mr. A. Troup, made an ascent. He had already been aloft that day and had gained a new appreciation of Wei!icon's winds. Another amusing moment came when the final item of the programme was begun. A ruined house on the edge of the landing ground was to be bombed. The first time a trio of planes circled over the house the crowd greeted the explosions about it with appreciation. The second time, however, saw the “bombs** exploded when the planes were near the centre of the field, and the final demolition of the house occurred with some vim. and at such an awkward moment that it was greeted with laughter. The mines about the house were being exploded by the use of a battery, and the final occasion saw a very unfortunate moment chosen The winner of the Aerial Derby was Captain M. C. McGregor, of Hamilton Airways, who flew his Gipsy Moth round the two circuits of the course, a distance of approximately four miles, in smin. o3sec. Second was Mr. Douglas Mill, of the Air Survey and Transport Company, in :imin. 57sec., and ibird Captain N. H. Barlow, of Canterbury, in Imin. ISsee. They also flew Gipsy Moths. Wellington lived up to its reputation for its first air pageant was held in violent, gusty weather. The wind at times was blowing 40 miles an hour. In spite of the gale, however, many thousands thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon, which held more in the "ay of flying than most had seen beeven when the machines on the ground had to be held clown all the time. LANDING WAS ADVENTURE Each landing, because of gusts and Midden changes in the direction of the wind, was an adventure, yet there were no accidents, a fact which speaks well for the serviceability of the modern plane From early morning the airport was v cry busy, planes of all sorts, though Moths predominated, landing and takoff without fuss or bother. Planes drifted in from Auckland or Canterbury after long trips against head winds. Before two o'clock there was a huge < rowel at the airdrome and a stream oJ traffic on all roads, and by the time p f opening all accommodation. both Paid for, on the ground, and free, surrounding the vantage points was crowded. Mercer and Chandler found th° bombing hard, and while they were trying to hit a car on the ground, two more planes appeared. They were the Auckland Aero Club's, flown by Capbo'u Kuan Dickson anti Captain I>. K Harkness—late but welcome. They brounht tile total to 1 1. Captain Bnrrell. in a Ciloxtcr-Glebe. showed Wellington its first taste of rp al speed and gave the crowd something to gasp at. The appalling weather conditions, though trying to competitors, failed mar the success of the pageant and the crowd went away pleased.