AHSA Monthly Meeting 16 Sep 2020 (Derek Buckmaster: The Wirraway “Newspaper War”)

DerekB16/09/202027/12/2022

Derek Buckmaster gave a presentation on The Wirraway “Newspaper War”.

The AHSA September monthly meeting was held online via Zoom. A recording of the meeting is included below (click the image below to view the video):

1934 First place in the Handicap Section of the MacRobertson International Air Races was won by K.D. Parmentier (Captain), J.J. Moll (Co-pilot), B. Prins (Engineer), and C. van Brugge (Radio Operator) flying the KLM Douglas DC-2 airliner PH-AJU "Uiver", race number 44, when they crossed the finish line over Flemington Racecourse at 12:52am (GMT) on 24 October 1934. The DC-2 was the second aircraft to cross the finish line, with an elapsed time from Mildenhall to Melbourne of 90 hours 13 minutes 3 seconds and actual flying time of 81 hours 10 minutes 36 seconds. Second place in the Speed Section was won by Colonel Roscoe Turner (pilot), Clyde Pangborn (co-pilot), and Reeder Nicholls (wireless operator) flying the Boeing 247D NR257Y, race number 57, when they crossed the finish line over Flemington Racecourse at 3:36am on 24 October 1934. The Boeing actually arrived third in the Speed Section with an elapsed time of 92 hours 55 mins 38 secs (actual flying time 85 hours 22 mins 50 secs) but they were awarded the second prize of £1500 since the second aircraft to arrive (the KLM DC-2 flown by Parmentier, Moll, Prins and van Brugge) elected to claim the first prize in the Handicap Section. Source: Aviation Heritage Vol 24 Nos 1 & 2, 1984