XVII. SOME DETAILS OF THE MACROBERTSON RACE
‘To encourage aviation and to celebrate the centenary of the State of Victoria and its capital, Melbourne, Sir MacPherson Robertson, a prominent citizen of Melbourne, has offered the sum of £15,000 and a gold trophy as prizes for the England–Melbourne air race.’
This announcement opens the small booklet containing the rules and regulations for the MacRobertson International Air Race. Looking back at the outcome, it is clear that the multifaceted goal Sir MacPherson Robertson set for himself was achieved in every respect.
Sir MacPherson Robertson, who is of Scottish descent, is a self-made man. Starting at a young age in a very modest workshop, he began manufacturing chocolate and confectionery; today, he owns the largest factories of this kind in Australia. He has always taken a keen interest in aviation and has actively supported many significant flights in the past.
Two competitions were organised: a speed race and a handicap race. For both, it was stipulated that the flights had to be completed within sixteen days. The following prizes were offered:
For the speed race:
First prize: £10,000 and a gold trophy valued at £500
Second prize: £1,500
Third prize: £500
For the handicap race:
First prize: £2,000
Second prize: £1,000
Furthermore, a gold medal was to be awarded to every pilot who participated in one or both races and completed the flight within sixteen calendar days. Entries were open to any type of aircraft and any nationality. Any number of aircraft could be entered into both competitions, and a single aircraft could compete in both simultaneously. However, an aircraft could only claim one prize. Should a plane win a prize in both races, the entrant was permitted to choose which one they preferred; the remaining prize would then be paid to the next runner-up. Thus, I was allowed to choose between the first prize in the handicap race and the second prize in the speed race. Scott and Campbell Black, who had technically won both, naturally preferred £10,000 to £2,000 for obvious reasons. As I chose the first prize in the handicap race, Roscoe Turner—who arrived third—received the second prize in the speed race, while Jones and Waller, crossing the finish line in fourth place, took the third. I shall briefly explain some of the various regulations established for both competitions.
For the speed race, the main objective was for all aircraft to depart England at the same time. Whoever first crossed the finish line, which was drawn across the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, would be the winner. Compulsory landings were required at Baghdad, Allahabad, Singapore, Port Darwin, and Charleville; however, these were solely to verify that the aircraft still met all the race committee’s requirements.
In the handicap race, it was not the time taken to reach Melbourne that mattered, but rather the time spent in the air. In addition to the five control points mentioned above—where handicap participants were also required to make a landing—a number of other airfields were designated as ‘reporting points’. At these locations, participants could land and have the time spent on the ground deducted from their total flight time. If one landed anywhere other than these reporting or control points, the time spent on the ground was counted as flying time. Consequently, the time the Uiver spent on the ground at Albury was counted as flying time, as Albury was not an official control or reporting point.
To clarify further, ‘flying time’ meant the duration between leaving Mildenhall and crossing the finish line in Melbourne, minus the time spent at official control and reporting stations. A ‘handicap time’ was calculated using a specific formula that incorporated all the factors determining an aircraft’s performance, such as its total weight, maximum engine power, wing surface area, and the weight of the payload.
The goal, therefore, was to keep the actual flying time as short as possible. This was to be achieved through precise navigation and by landing only at the airfields designated for the handicap. The winner of the handicap race would be the one who achieved the most favourable ratio between flying time and handicap time.
Naturally, a well-built aircraft—one whose design and shape reduced drag to a minimum—would fare best in the handicap race. It was evident from these rules that the handicap race was essentially a reliability trial. The best chance of winning lay in flying under favourable conditions as much as possible, preferably waiting for tailwinds, and navigating with the utmost precision. Although the time spent at reporting or control points was deducted from the flying time, the number of stops still had a detrimental effect on one’s chances. Each intermediate landing often required a detour. Furthermore, descending and then climbing back to an efficient altitude caused a loss of time. Landing time was recorded from the moment the pilot presented the race logbook to an official on the field, and departure time was marked when the pilot checked out.
There were also several regulations that applied to both competitions. Firstly, every aircraft had to possess a certificate of airworthiness from its country of registration, proving it met the minimum standards prescribed by the International Commission for Air Navigation (CINA). It was not permitted to arbitrarily overload the aircraft by installing extra fuel tanks and such. This regulation led several participants, including Colonel Fitzmaurice, to withdraw.
Competing aircraft had to be equipped with proper navigation and blind-flying instruments and carry detailed charts of the entire route. There also had to be sufficient food and water on board for three days, a life jacket for every crew member and passenger, and at least six smoke signals. The first pilot was considered the commander in charge and had to remain on board for the duration of the flight; other crew members or passengers could be swapped en route.
Each passenger, including their hand luggage, was calculated as 95 kilograms of payload. Any other goods intended as payload were only included in the handicap formula if they had been weighed and sealed by race officials before the departure from Mildenhall, and if those seals remained intact upon arrival in Melbourne. On leaving England, the Uiver carried approximately 1,200 kilograms of payload, including the passengers. When the prize was decided, however, this was not factored into the calculation of the handicap time for the entire flight, as everything had to be unloaded at Albury, despite it being only 250 kilometres from Melbourne.
Night flying was permitted, provided the aircraft was equipped for it to the satisfaction of the race committee. To allow the committee enough time to inspect all aircraft and ensure they complied with the regulations, all participants had to be present at the starting airfield with their planes one week before the race began.
For the departure from Mildenhall, it was decided that aircraft would start at 45-second intervals, with the order determined by lot. This time difference was to be equalised at Singapore. Each participant had to wait there for the same number of minutes they had started ahead of the final machine from Mildenhall before they were allowed to begin refuelling or any other work.
The total distance from London to Melbourne via the reporting points is nearly 20,000 kilometres; the difference in longitude is 145° East, and the route spans from 52° North to 38° South.
Given that the total circumference of a great circle on Earth is 40,000 kilometres, one can say that 20,000 kilometres is the maximum distance between two points on our globe. The MacRobertson Race has thus taught us that the greatest distance on Earth can practically be flown in three to four days.
It goes without saying that such a distance involves vast climatic differences. However, weather conditions in October are relatively favourable for the tropical section of the route, as the wet monsoon in British India and Burma has ended, and the rainy season in the East Indian Archipelago has not yet begun in earnest. In Western Europe, there is naturally a high chance of bad weather in October, though on the 20th, conditions were generally very good. In Southern Australia, October is not the most ideal month for flying. Consequently, the Uiver was not spared foul weather on the final leg of the journey.