Articles Air Race (Page 58)

1977 SP Air Race – Trophies

1977 State President’s Trophy Air Race

From Baragwanath to Virginia – 30 to 31 May 1977

Trophies

Trophy Name	Awarded to	Race	A/c Reg	Pilot/Navigator Aircraft
State President’s Trophy	The Competitor gaining most time on Handicap	73	ZS-UDZ	J S McKerchar Taylor Titch
Air Charter Companies Cup	The Second Pilot Home	63	ZS-EBI	V MacLean/J Haig Piper PA28-235
Natal Advertiser Trophy	The Competitor covering the course in the fastest time	46	ZS-JEV	W Bürgener/R L Hay Aerostar 601
Vickers Armstrong Trophy	The Competitor giving the Most Meritorious Performance	79	ZS-BZN	H F Heim/J Bezuidenhout Piper PA 14 Cruiser
Wakefield Trophy	The First Woman Pilot	10	ZS-DXG	V Hunt-Davis/D Hunt-Davis Piper PA28-235
Natal Mercury Trophy	The First Natal Pilot Home	58	ZS-KOB	R Stevens/D Campbell Piper PA28-235
Hoofstad Pers Trophy	The First Transvaal Pilot Home	73	ZS-UDZ	J S McKerchar Taylor Titch
Phoenix Volkswagen Trophy	The First O F S Pilot Home	61	ZS-PMG	G B Conlyn/N Lederle Beech V35B
Stellalander Trophy	The First Cape Province Pilot Home	15	ZS-PTC	E A King/A S Bane Beech B55E
Comair Trophy	The Pilot of the First Cessna Home	4	ZS-IWK	W C Angus/A G Purchase Cessna C182
Piper Trophy	The Pilot of the First Piper Home	63	ZS-EBI	V Maclean/J Haig Piper PA28-235
Beechcraft Trophy	The Pilot of the First Beechcraft Home	61	ZS-PMG	G B Conlyn/N Lederle Beech V35B
Carletonville Trophy	The Pilot of the First Baron Home	78	ZS-MAA	W Barnard/A du Plessis Beech C55
Preller/Germishuys Trophy	Handicapping Committee Award	70	ZS-JZP	H Dames/J A Earl Piper PA28-R200T
D P Kelly Trophy	First Delmas Pilot Home	30	ZS-CMU	J Cilliers/A Grobbelaar Cessna C182
Durban Wings Club Trophy	The First Durban Wings Club Pilot Home	24	ZS-MBO	D G Carlisle/A Williams Cessna C206
Lanseria Trophy	The First Lanseria based Pilot Home	29	ZS-FHA	A J Hodgson/C W Hodgson Piper PA28-235
99 Trophy	The First “99” Pilot Home	10	ZS-DXG	V Hunt-Davis/D Hunt-Davis Piper PA28-235

1961 Governor-General’s Cup

The last time the Governor-Generals Cup was awarded was in 1961. The event was held on 26/27 May 1961, the last weekend before the Republic of South Africa came into being.

The race has the traditional routing of a course that covered at least 1 000 miles and entered all four of the provinces. The race started at the Baragwanath airfield in Johannesburg and finished at Benoni. The route was going to be via Kimberley (refuel), Ladybrand, Harrismith to Ladysmith for a night stop) and then to Benoni via Nelspruit, Tzaneen (refuel) and Potgietersrus but the route was shortened to avoid the Drakensburg.

An article in the 30 March 1961 issue of Flight magazine (see attached) indicated that this would be the last race and that “the organisers of the 1961 race, mostly loyal monarchists, have decided that if this year’s race is to be the last it shall certainly be the best” This statement obviously created a stir as a retraction was published in the 27 April issue of the magazine (attached).

The race was one by Mr A P Nieman in a Fairchild 24. There were 37 finishers out of a field of 39. A report on the race was included in the Flight of 22 June.