"SCARED TO DEATH"

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 73, 29 April 1929, Page 7

"SCARED TO DEATH"

AERO PAGEANT' S ARRANGEAIENTS CRITICISED, OPINION OF DEFENCE MINISTER. j Criticism of the organisation at the aero pageant in Hastings 011 Saturday J was voiced by the Alinister of Dej fence, the Hon. T. AI. AVilford, in j Napier this morning. ! The Alinister said that all the time tho pageant was 011 he was "scared to j death." ! "There uas no danger to those in I the air," he said. "but I was really ; trightened for those 011 the ground." I j 'Ihe Alinister said that people did j j iir.t soem to rcalise tliat 'planes, when j 1 ihcy landed, could not pull up as ea rs 1 ' did, hnt had to run themscJves out till ; tlicv naturally stopped. Acroplanes had 110 hrakcs aiul could j not pull up till the moinentum ceased. I "There were boys and girls and men and women standing in the track of the land ing 'planes." tlie Alinister -aid, "and had a 'plane hit them tliey mnsfc have heen cut to piecos." Tlie Alinister said that oarly in the day a 'plane went riglit- through a. gap ' vhere. lafer in the day, dozens of spcctators stood. "'Had thev been tliere at tlio time." lie said. "tbe pageant would have roimnenred with a fatnlity. Clnbs mu«t lealise that at future pagennts people niust be ropod bnelc and kcpt back. A_n in.iury at such a funetion would give ihe cause nf aviation a had blow."