75th Anniversary of the Mildenhall to Melbourne Air Race
The 75th anniversary of the Mildenhall to Melbourne Air Race is in October and one of the first events organised to commemorate the anniverary was a celebratory concert, performed by the RAF Honington band at St. Marys Church in Mildenhall on May 23.
The MacRoberton Air Race was an international air race of tremendous importance. Organised by the Royal Aero Club and sponsored by Sir MacPherson Robertson (who put up the $75,000 prize fund) it was one of the first events that tested the possibilities of long-haul air travel.
Watched by 70,000 people the epic air race saw 20 aircraft leave RAF Mildenhall on October 20, 1934, and head towards Melbourne, Australia, as part of the city's centenary celebrations.
The course covered 16 countries and three continents, required night & day flying over country perilous with jagged mountains, snake-infested jungles, deserts, hurricanes and typhoons.
There were 5 compulsory stops at Baghdad, Allahabad, Singapore, Darwin and Charleville, Queensland, otherwise the competitors could choose their own routes.
The toughest stretch was across the Syrian Desert where blinding sandstorms sometimes rise 20,000 ft. and huge kitebirds menace aerial navigation. Not much easier was the 2,210-mi. jump from Allahabad to Singapore, with its Bay of Bengal water hop nearly as long as the North Atlantic.
Purely a long-distance speed race, the MacRobertson Air Race was a free-for-all with virtually no restrictions. To the participants in the race Lloyd's of London gave a 1-in-12 chance of being killed.
The finish was at Melbourne's great Flemington Racecourse, where more than 100,000 persons awaited the winner. Nine planes finished the race, which was won by C.W.A Scott and T. Campbell Black whose DH 88 Comet, took 71 hours, 1 min, 3 seconds to get to Melbourne. In less than 3 days they had flown half way around the world.