FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0337.PDF
MAY 19, 1927 TAKING everything all round, H.A.P. No. 1 was a very happy affair, and must certainly be described as a record flying event. But—and we are afraid there must be a little " but"— this first Aerial Pageant, which was organised entirely by the Hampshire Aeroplane Club, was, as may have been seen from the advance programme of events published in last week's issue of FLIGHT, a very ambitious affair. Now, the organisation of any air race meeting is a specialised and by no means easy problem, and so it was not altogether sur- prising, considering the magnitude of the programme and the fact that this was the organisers' first effort, to find matters at times getting a little out of hand last Sunday up at Hamble. We do not in any way wish to find fault with the organisa- tion as originally planned—for this was excellent in everyway it was, we think, simply a matter of H.A.P. No. 1 getting : omewhat " out of control " and success running away with itself. The remedy, we courteously suggest, for H.A.P. No. 2 would be to call in the " specialists " previously referred t > and provide a larger " ground staff " to carry out the hundred- and-one lightning duties called for in a big race meeting. None the less, the H.Ae.C. officials worked very hard on Sunday and did their best to cope with matters, while every credit—together with some sympathy—should fall to the official starter and time-keeper, A. G. Reynolds, for the manner in which he marshalled and despatched his large flocks in the races. In spite of decidedly unsettled weather, spectators began to arrive at the aerodrome long before the first event was scheduled to commence, and these early arrivals—numbering several thousands by one o'clock—saw plenty of flying going on, for several competitors were making test flights, while the Imperial Airways' Hundley Page " Hampstead " air liner, which had flown over from Croydon, started taking up its complements of 14 joy riders at an early hour, and kept h-ird at it until well into the evening. By 2.30 p.m., when the first event was timed to commence, the enclosures were well filled, but spectators were still arriving in fair [" PLIGHT " J'hutographs THE HAMPSHIRE AIR PAGEANT : The race for the Wakefield Challenge Cup. Top, four D.H. " Moths " ri^ vfWay ina " bunch-" Below, left. Major L. P. Openshaw well away on the Westland " Widgeon III," and, fr.nt) the first two home, who were, however, disqualified —Uwins on the Bristol " Brownie " and Le Poer Trench on " Halton I "305
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
