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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0665.PDF
FLIGHT, JULY 3, 1931 / tj—' HE luck of the Royal Air Force in the matter cf^J) Vk\ good weather for the annual Hendon Display I*' held last Saturday. Only once, in the very wetsummer of 1922, has there been a really bad day for the Display. This summer has so far been mainlycool and damp, and week-end after week-end the weather forecasts of the Air Ministry have brought gloom to thehearts of holiday makers, which has grown deeper and deeper as the accuracy of the Meteorological Departmenthas been justified by events. But on Friday last, just in the nick of time, the longed-for anticyclone extended itsbenign influence over the southern half of Great Britain, with the result that on Saturday the Display was heldin a cloudless sky which would not have disgraced Italy. Nor did we have too much of a good thing. There havebeen years when the heat at Hendon grew almost torrid and eyes began to ache from looking up at a brazen sky.This year a gentle zephyr kept us all pleasantly refreshed, though it was not strong enough to keep the little Bleriotaground, or to carry the parachutes too far across the aerodrome. In fact, no day could have been more perfect.Their Majesties the King and Queen must have found it hard to decide which was the greatest attraction of theday. New Zealand was playing England at Lords, Great Britain was meeting many foreign champions at Wimble-don, and there was the Hendon Display. Their Majesties chose Wimbledon. In their place, H.R.H. the Duke ofGloucester flew to Stag Lane in a " Puss Moth," and drove on to Hendon. He took his place among some160,000 other subjects of his father, not to speak of many ioreign visitors, while many thousands more got an inex-pensive view of the show from the fields surrounding the aerodrome. It is very noticeable how people now arriveearly at Hendon. The first event started at noon, but h were quite a number of cars and a proportionate 619 number of people in their places before 11 a.m. Arrivalscontinued in an ever-growing stream up to 3 p.m., when the most important events began to take place. The trafficarrangements were excellent, better, in fact, than in any previous years. Special routes were assigned to cars bear-ing different labels. After the Display was over, all the thousands of cars had been cleared from the ground inless than two hours, which was quite good. Of the catering arrangements we cannot speak with first-handknowledge. In some years they have been anything but perfect, but now all wise men (and the staff of FLIGHT areeminently wise men) bring their own provender with them and enjoy one of the jolliest possible of picnics. The first event on the programme started at noon. Itwas a handicap race open to one officer from the Air Ministry and one from each Command Headquarters, andwas for a cup presented by His Hoyal Highness the Duke of York. Last year this race was won by the Halton Com-mand. Eight aircraft took part in the race, as follows: — The Air Ministry was represented by Flight-LieutenantD. L. Blackford, who was flying a " Siskin " (Jaguar). Air Defence of Great Britain: Squadron-Leader R. S.Aitken, "Bulldog" (Tupiter). Coastal Area: Flight- Lieutenant M. V. Ward, " Flycatcher " (Jaguar). Fight-ing Area: Flying Officer E. H. Bellairs, "Fury" (Kestrel). Wessex Bombing Area: Flight-Lieutenant D. W. F.Bonham-Carter, " Atlas" (Jaguar). Inland Area: Wing- Commander G. H. Bowman, " SiskinFlight-Lieutenant C. D. Adams, ' Cranwell: Squadron-Leader P. G.(Jaguar). The race consisted of two circuits of a 14-mile course,and the machines started, in accordance with their handi- caps, in the following order:—"Atlas," "Flycatcher,"two " Siskins," two " Siskins," " Bulldog," " Fury." The B (Jaguar). Halton: Siskin " (Jaguar).Scott, " Siskin "
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