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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1811.PDF
18 FLIGHT. JULY 2, 1936. HUNGARIAN INTERLUDE British Private Ow ners Again Royally Entertained in the Third Magyar Pilota Picnic By E. NAGY, Junr. Again this year a Hungarian en thusiast, Mr. E. Nagy, describes the Magyar Pilota picnic, an event which is in many ways unique ; in brief, it is an informal air tour for British Private Owners as guests of their Hungarian confreres. As before, we have refrained from blue-pencillirg Mr. Nagy's enter taining English A group of participants: Miss de Paula, Mr. D. R. Pobjoy, M<ss Cleyton, Mrs. Pobjoy, Mr, Whitton and Mr. Jackson. In the background is the Monospar S.T.25 (two Pobjoys) flown by Mr. C. E. Gardner. Incidentally, this machine returned in one day, leaving Budapest at 7.45 a.m. and reaching Lympne at 5.45 p.m. H AVING a two-years' experience in organising the Magyar Pilota Pic Nic, which becomes from year to year even more successful, the third of these delightful aviation parties was organised by the Magyar Touring Club in close co-operation with the Royal Aero Club and the Automobile Association. If one looks around among the entries of previous Pic Nics too, one may find a number of those who come back to Hungary from year to year constantly. Why ? I think, Hun gary has quite a number of beauties, so one cannot say de finitely why. Perhaps the greatest problem of the Pic Nic organisation was that of the weather. Just one week before the Pic Nic Si6fok airport was inundated, Debrecen and Pecs airports use less because of rains, storms, hails, and so on. Then we had fair weather and in England it rained. Shortly before the beginning of the Pic Nic weather became first class and the problem was solved. Officially the planes should arrive on June 13 (please don't be superstitious) to Szekesfehervar airport. This town is a very old one, was in the XI and XII centuries capital of Hungary, and many of our kings during this time, among them St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary, have been crowned and buried here. The Arrival About at 11.20 a.m. arrived the Fckker F.VIII of the Malert (Hungarian Air Traffic Co.), which brought the reporters, photographers, and other news men. After this dear old plane landed Mr. H. Deterding in a Miles Falcon, accom panied by Mrs. Deterding and Miss A. B. Field. He said he is very glad to see again Hungary, being enthusiast visitor of this country. Shortly later came Mr. Stephen Horthy, jr., son of the Governor of Hungary, in a yellow-doped Weiss Manfred biplane, which is a Hungarian designed arid built trainer, but bears somewhat striking resemblance 'to the Blackburn Bluebird. Then the airport was really attacked by a number of planes. 12.15 P-m. Major Nathan lands in a beautiful Puss Moth, G-AAYC, accompanied by Miss De Paula and Mr. D. Freemantle. At 12.20 a yellow-black Jubilee Monospar, piloted by Mr. C. E. Gardner and carry ing Mr. and Mrs. Pobjoy as passengers makes some " thrill ing" circuits (according to news reports) and lands. Mr. Gardner shows us a real " revue" since three years; he comes each year in a new aircraft. At 1.40 arrives Mr. K. Whitton and Mr. L. A. Jackson from Niirnberg in a Moth. All the participants have been -welcomed by the delegates of the Magyar Touring Club and officials of the town. After noon the party made an excursion to Siofok to visit the wonderful Lake Balaton. This lake—the greatest in centre-Europe—is unrivalled for bathing, sun-bathing, sail ing, and motor-boating. So, of course, everybody bathed, sun-bathed, sailed and motor-boated. Mr. F. Bret joined the party this afternoon, as well as Mr. E. P. Fairbairn, Mr. R. Young, Mr. and Mrs. Atkey, Mr. T. C. Maxwell and Miss Cleyton, Mr F. Armstrong, Sqd. Ldr. Carnegie and Mr. Volk. Here in Si6fok was the first dinner. After dinner, of course, everybody danced the Csardas to the gipsy music (not Gipsy, this is very good too, but only in the air and not during dinner)—we shall see in a few hundred years the' Csardas as a world-wide known and danced dance (really, this dance is neither complicated nor difficult). After lunch on Sunday we said farewell to the jolly old cool Balaton and drove back to Szekesfehervar. Here, now under the leadership of H.R.H. the Archduke Albrecht, who flew his new red sportplane, we took off for Pecs. The Dames of Pecs Pecs a very old town, surely a Roman foundation is near to the south boundary of Hungary. The company was re ceived by Lord Mayors S. Horvath and A. Neudtwich, and Mr. F. V. Vermes, president of the M.T.C. A group of peasant- artists of Piispokbogati showed the guests their national dances and song. The visitors were guests of Pecs town for the dis play of the " Missa Sollemnis" a mysterium drama to the magnificent "Missa Sollemnis" of Liszt, the world-famous Hungarian piano artist and composer, who's Hungarian rhapsodies are known throughout the world. After the per formance the party was invited tor dinner by the Lord Mayor of Pecs, and then to the garden party arranged by the dames of Pecs. Monday mcrning, as usual, H!R.H. the Archduke Albrecht, our " Fuhrer " took off first and led the flight to Mezohegyes. As we arrived, many of the participants found they had left their baggages at Pecs. The idea to fly back was abandoned. A radiogram to the Fokker with the press men, which was in flight to Debrecen, the big dinghy flies back and brings the baggages. The party was received by Director Wattay and other officials of Mezohegyes, which is a big farm of the Hun garian State, and centre of famous Hungarian horse-breeding. Mezohegyes has no official airport but has some excellent fields which can be used as landing grounds. We drove in the splendid teams of the stud to the yard of the horse-breeding "institute." The horse-herds of the stud showed us what is skill in riding. Of course, the Englishmen enjoyed very much the display so that finally they decided to hold a horse race. The prize for the winner was won by Mr. Deterding on the famous " Sargarozsa " (yellow rose). After the derby and lunch the planes took off for Debrecen the "Calvinist Rome" of Hungary. Lord Mayor Kolcsey awaited here the party. Afternoon programme was sightsee ing and visit to the University. Dinner and garden party were in the Nagyerdd, the amusement place of Debrecen.
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