LANDING COMPETITION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 875, 20 January 1930, Page 11

LANDING COMPETITION

AERO CLUB PUPILS GIVE DISPLAY EXHIBITION BY INSTRUCTOR Favoured with ideal weather conditions, the first of a series of airplane acrobatic competitions staged by the Auckland Aero Club at the Mangere Airdrome on Saturday afternoon, proved most successful and attracted a good attendance. Th€> competition was in the form of a landing test in which pilots were called upon to land with their engine cut oIY, from a oeight of 2,000 feet, and bring the machine to rest as near as possible to a sheet of canvas placed on the field. Ail of the ten entrants for the event were club-trained pilots and they indeed gave an excellent exhibition of landings. Mr. E. B. Firth gained 10 out of a possible of 11 marks and ■won the competition. He was the only pilot competing who had not gained hi a licence, but he managed to bririg his plane to rest only a few yards from the canvas. Mr. L. M. Squires was second with eight points and Mr. M. Hodgson third with seven. Lach pilot made three landings, three points being the maximum for each, 'vniie five points were awarded for Position. Other competitors were Messrs. E. A. Luke, G. ijj. Stenborg, F. Seavill, E. Pheasant, J. J. C. Gardner, k. A. Andrews und G M. Firth. Short passenger flights were made during the afternoon by many of those Present, while Mr. D. M. Allan, tho club's instructor, made a solo flight, during which lie performed a number J* spectacular and thrilling stunts, other pilots also went aloft to amuse tho crowd with aerial acrobatics. Another exhibtion of stunt flying was given yesterday, when more than 1,000 people visited the airdrome.