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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0605.PDF
FLIGHT, 29 April 1960 605 The Easter Monday meeting at Goodwood, reported below, attracted over 700 visiting aircraft, some of which are seen in this picture IN the first sustained good weather of the year, a total of102 aircraft visited Goodwood on Easter Monday for theaircraft display and the motor racing which followed it. Having sa<d that, it must be recorded that it was made nearly as difficultfor those who came to watch the motor racing to see the aero- planes as it was for those who came by aeroplane to get a goodview of the racing. The idea of a flying display and business aircraft exhibition wasto demonstrate what a practical form of transport business aircraft could be, and the sunny weather and the motor-racing crowds onthe roads around Goodwood were persuasive reminders of the advantages of travel by air. All the same, it was clear that theBritish Automobile Racing dub (which organized the meeting) regarded the airfield and the aeroplanes as a sideshow, and onEaster Monday it was not made easy for visitors to Goodwood to get a good view of the new aircraft lined up on display. Before the demonstrations started, the 15 or so aircraft par-ticipating were parked a long way from the paddock and access to the airfield itself was discouraged. Once flying began theairfield was closed and, subsequently, when the shiny and desirable new aeroplanes were drawn up along the enclosure fence, mostof the spectators had already departed to seek vantage positions from which to watch the motor racing. But although fewer people than one would have liked managed toview the creature-comforts being offered by Cessna, Piper, Piaggio and others this year, the flying part of the display was splendid.First off was the new Lycoming-powered Auster D4 (still in its prototype G-25-8 lettering) and the Jodel D.I 17—a pair ofsparkling white doves under a cerulean sky. Next came the dainty Linnet and the MetaSokol, the latter demonstrating the rapidity Sport and Business with which its undercarriage could be retracted while the Linnetdiced in no uncertain fashion fast and low over the stands. As the first pair landed the Prospector leapt into its steep climb andfour Cessnas (150, 175, 210 and 310) in the extensive range from Witchita purred our in line astern ready to take-off. Precedingthem into the air was Peter Masefield's Chipmunk, now with new sloping windscreen and Day-Glo gleaming brightly in thesunlight. Off went the Cessnas one by one, the 150 to climb high anddemonstrate a spin, the 175 to turn sharply off the deck and the 210 to demonstrate its remarkably steep climb and the neat andclever retraction of its undercarriage. All used flap to good effect on landing. As the pale green 310 climbed purposefully away tostart its fly-past, the Piper competition—Super Cub, TriPacer, Comanche and Apache—lined up for their display. Off went theSuper Cub after an almost zero-length run, the Comanche sped steeply away in a sustained climb while the Cub looped, andthen the Cub hovered almost stationary as the Comanche tore up and down past the stands a few hundred feet above the serriedranks of visiting aircraft. Next came the Apache and the TriPacer, the former following the fashion among the twins of featheringand restarting the "difficult" engine in each turn. To sign off for the business aircraft were the Italian Piaggio P.166 and the CzechSuper Aero. While the latter feathered and unfeathered its pro- pellers the former was displayed most energetically, ending witha rousing full-throttle, downhill, down-wind run very low over the heads of the crowd. Those who had known Goodwood in earlier days as Westhamph-nett could not have failed to have been stirred by the next item on the programme, a nostalgic duet by Geoffrey Quill, Spitfire-mounted, and Bill Bedford in a Hurricane. The Spitfire opened the show with two cracking upward rolls and as the Hurricanedived to join mock battle the Spitfire streaked in again underneath. For four or five glorious minutes they gambolled happily at lowlevel, turning inside each other, tail-chasing and pulling g to keep within the confines of the circuit. Then they came wingtip towingtip low across the field to break left and right above the heads of the crowd. Finally, to complete the parade, Treble One squadron's 1960Easter debut. In spite of a number of changes in the team the quality of the flying has lost nothing during the winter and a newformation—a "treble one" loop with nine aircraft—has been added as an opening manoeuvre. As last year, formations of nine andfive are used to keep up an almost continuous show, and at Goodwood their positioning and timing were fully up to thestandard set previously. Rather more generous use of smoke made their formation-changing easier to appreciate and the finale,as before, was a loop and diving bomb-burst with smoke by the nine and an upward, Prince of Wales feathers break by the five. "Flight" photograph GLIDING RALLIES over the Easter weekend were held at LongMynd (Midland Gliding Club) and at Lasham. The former was won by Philip Wills and the latter by Wally Kahn, both flyingSlingsby Skylark 3s. Daily tasks at the Long Mynd included dog-leg distance via Lasham, an 84-mile triangle via Cosford andLeominster, and an 80-mile race to the Bristol Club's site at Nympsfield. Runner-up to Wills was the team comprising Fit LtsS. D. Cretney and Ronald Dunn (Skylark 3), and Sgt John Williamson (Olympia 419) was placed third.At Lasham, an out-and-return flight to Upavon was set on Saturday, April 16. Pilots were required to identify the clubgliders at Upavon as a turning-point identification but, unknown to Lasham, the Upavon club had moved to Netheravon for theweekend. This resulted in Tony Deane-Drummond and Frank Irving both turning at Netheravon, and hence failing to completethe course (this misfortune robbed Deane-Drummond of first place in the rally). On this day Roger Mann (Skylark 3) gained100 points with a best time of 2hr 53min; Kahn was second with 3hr 15min; and Hugh Mettam, also in a Skylark 3, was third.On Sunday, April 17, the task was a goal race to Dunkeswell, Devon, a distance of 98 miles. In the leading places were Deane-Drummond, Burton and Kahn. On Easter Monday a 100km triangle with turning points at Stockbridge and Hungerford wasset, and Deane-Drummond and Kahn were the only two pilots to complete the course. The final points totals at the end of therally were: Kahn, 260; Deane-Drummond, 200; Hugh Mettam and Rika Harwood (team entry), 195. THE SCOTTISH PARACHUTE CLUB has been formed atPerth Aerodrome on the initiative of Dr C. Robertson and with the co-operation of Airwork Services Ltd and the Scottish AeroClub. The parachute club's first course is planned to start on June 4 and to continue for two weeks: inquiries should be addressedto the club, c/o Airwork Services Ltd, Penh Aerodrome. RETROSPECT From "Flight" of April 30, 1910 Spanish Crowds and Flying: From the accounts which have come tohand from Madrid and Bilbao, it would seem aviators would be well advised to keep clear of Spain. On the 25th inst. Caudart had arrangedto give some exhibition flights at the Chamartin de Larosa aerodrome at Madrid, but, owing to the strong wind, he declared it was impossibleto fly. At this the crowd commenced to hurl stones, and in order to try and appease them he attempted to fly. He, however, fell from aheight of 20ft, and then the spectators threatened to lynch him. and he was only rescued by the civil guard. The aeroplane sufferedconsiderably.
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