1939 Governor-General’s Cup

 

Pos Race
No		 A/c Reg Aircraft Pilot/s
1 9 ZS-AOC BA DOUBLE EAGLE E. U. BRIERLEY
2 15 ZS-AHA LEOPARD MOTH J. D. DALRYMPLE
3 13 ZS-AID CESSNA C.34 J. WILLIAMSON
4 1 ZS-AML FAIRCHILD 45 F. C. ELLIOT-WILSON
4 5 ZS-BBC BEECHCRAFT C17L O. THANING
6 22 ZS-AIV LEOPARD MOTH H. CALDERBANK
7 4 ZS-ANO SPARROWHAWK C. ERASMUS
8 7 ZS-AKG HORNET MOTH G. K. JONES, J. J. OOSTHUIZEN
9 8 ZS-AOA HORNET MOTH F. ALLEN, T. G. PAGET
10 18 ZS-AEP LEOPARD MOTH R. M. COULL
11 16 ZS-AOY MILES MONARCH E. PHILLIPS
12 17 ZS-ACR PUSS MOTH J. BOWIE
13 26 ZS-AMR MAGISTER E. N. DONNELLY
14 12 ZS-AOS HORNET MOTH P. MURDOCH
15 2 ZS-AFS LEOPARD MOTH H. P. BLINKHORN
15 21 ZS-AKT RAPIDE D. MAIL
17 11 ZS-APX HAWK MAJOR J. M. PROUT
18 20 ZS-ANN HORNET MOTH P. HOLT
19 3 ZS-AHF HORNET MOTH C. F. KALLENBACH
20 10 ZS-AKA HORNET MOTH L. R. SPOOR, E. J. PEALL
21 25 ZS-ANT WACO UEC A. VELCICH

1939 Governor-General’s Cup – Exclusions

 

Race
No		 A/c Reg Aircraft Pilot/s Reason
6 ZS-AFU WACO UIC J. T. SLABBERT Retired
14 ZS-AHH HAWK MAJOR D. C. ROXBURGH Retired
19 ZS-AMJ REARWIN 6000M A. M. MILLER Retired
23 ZS-AMU MAGISTER B. de VILLIERS Retired
24 ZS-AIX CESSNA C.34 D. DUNN, D. MILLIGAN Retired

Day 1

From To Distance
Statute Miles		 Cumulative
Distance
Durban (Stamford Hill) Bloemfontein 142 142
Bloemfontein Kimberley 94 236
Kimberley Baragwanath 278 514

Day 2

From To Distance
Statute Miles		 Cumulative
Distance
Baragwanath Vryheid 202 202
Vryheid Durban (Stamford Hill) 144 346

Total distance – 860 statute miles

1938 Governor-General’s Cup

 

Pos Race
No		 A/c Reg Aircraft Pilot/s
1 12 ZS-AKG HORNET MOTH J. J. OOSTHUIZEN, D. P. McKEOWN
2 18 ZS-ANN HORNET MOTH W. T. B. TASKER
3 8 ZS-AKA HORNET MOTH L. R. SPOOR
4 21 ZS-AMT MAGISTER E. N. DONNELLY
5 16 ZS-AHG HORNET MOTH W. NICHOL
6 10 ZS-AFH WACO CJC J. T. SLABBERT
7 2 ZS-AEK LEOPARD MOTH R. M. COULL
7 7 ZS-AII HORNET MOTH W. F. du PLESSIS
9 17 ZS-AEP LEOPARD MOTH G. K. JONES, KELLY
10 9 ZS-AIV LEOPARD MOTH H. CALDERBANK
11 22 ZS-AML FAIRCHILD 45 E. McCONNELL, F. C. ELLIOT-WILSON
12 1 ZS-ANO SPARROWHAWK V. SMITH
13 6 ZS-AFS LEOPARD MOTH H. P. BLINKHORN
14 19 ZS-ADW GIPSY MOTH NORTON, BRINTON
15 4 ZS-BBC BEECHCRAFT C17L O. THANING

1937 Governor-General’s Cup – Exclusions

 

Race
No		 A/c Reg Aircraft Pilot/s Reason
15 ZS-AOT HORNET MOTH C. ERASMUS Disqualified
3 ZS-AIX CESSNA C.34 C. F. KALLENBACH Retired
5 ZS-ANM DRAGONFLY D. A. de R. LABISTOUR Retired
11 ZS-ANX BUCKER JUNGMANN K. KATZENSTEIN Retired
20 ZS-AEX STINSON F. R. SLABBERT, J. WILLIAMSON Retired
13 * * * Scratched
14 * * * Scratched

Thanks to Alan Taylor, renown South African aviation historian, the full results and exclusions of the 1937, 1938 and 1939 Governor-General’s Cup have now been published on this site.

Alan has also written a short biography on Roy Coull, the winner of the first Race. This book, titled OF MOTHS AND MARAUDERS, is available on the internet.

It was interesting to note that the pilots that did not do well in the 1937 Race were unhappy with the handicap system. Looks like nothing has changed in 70 odd years.

The first race covered 1 000 miles and passed through all four provinces. (Natal, Transvaal, Orange Free State and the Cape). Prize money was in the order of £1 000.

Second in that year was Johannes Slabbert in a Waco and third was Rhenia Slabbert in a Hornet
Moth. Rhenia (no relation to Johannes) was the only woman entrant and ended only 3 seconds behind the second placed aircraft.

Full results of the 1937 to 1939 races can be found Here

Day 1

From To Distance
Statute Miles		 Cumulative
Distance
Durban (Stamford Hill) Ladysmith
Ladysmith Baragwanath

Day 2

From To Distance
Statute Miles		 Cumulative
Distance
Baragwanath Bloemfontein (landing)
Bloemfontein Kimberley (Fuel stop)
Kimberley Bethlehem (landing)
Bethlehem Durban (Stamford Hill)

Pos Race
No		 A/c Reg Aircraft Pilot/s
1 15 ZS-AFZ HORNET MOTH W. H. HULETT, R. M. COULL
2 6 ZS-AFH WACO CJC J. T. SLABBERT
3 13 ZS-AHG HORNET MOTH F. R. SLABBERT, R. NICHOL
4 10 ZS-AHF HORNET MOTH W. STERNE, A. H. DOWNING
5 11 ZS-AIV LEOPARD MOTH H. CALDERBANK
6 19 ZS-AII HORNET MOTH E. F. J. L’STRANGE, W. F. du PLESSIS
7 22 ZS-AKA HORNET MOTH L. R. SPOOR, E. PEALL
8 17 ZS-ACR PUSS MOTH O. G. DAVIES, W. MOSSOP
9 12 ZS-AEJ LEOPARD MOTH E. L. DREW, R. M. APTHORP
10 8 ZS-AGZ PUSS MOTH J. H. N. HOBDAY
11 9 ZS-BBC BEECHCRAFT C17L O. THANING
12 14 ZS-AJY BUCKER JUNGMANN K. KATZENSTEIN
13 7 ZS-AID CESSNA C.34 J. WILLIAMSON
14 20 ZS-AIX CESSNA C.34 R. H. PRELLER
15 2 ZS-AFS LEOPARD MOTH H. P. BLINKHORN
16 1 ZS-AJT REARWIN 90 C. F. KALLENBACH
17 5 ZS-AHV DRAGONFLY S. L. WALTERS
18 24 ZS-AIZ RYAN ST-A R. COPPEN
19 16 ZS-AFU WACO UIC F. ALLEN, J. D. SCOTT
20 3 ZS-AFM MILES HAWK G. A. McPHEE
21 23 ZS-AHS REARWIN 7000 G. J. DE VOS
22 18 VP-YBI HEINKEL He64C C. H. PERREM
23 26 ZS-AGV REARWIN 90 C. St. ARNAUD

The South African Power Flying Association is an independent association affiliated to the Aero Club of South Africa formed in the 1980’s.

First South African Aero Conference – Johannesburg 1 to 6 April 1920

The Aero Club was formed in 1920 by a group of airman, “Millers Boys”, who had served with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. In 1928, due to lack of funds, the club went into recess.

Trophy donated by Mr I W Schlesinger

It was revived again in 1936 when Mr I W Schlesinger offered £10.000.00 in prize money for the promotion of an air race from England to Johannesburg. See the 1920’s – London to Cape Town  page for further details.

A further £10.000.00 was donated by Sir Abe Bailey to promote Civil Aviation in South Africa, part of which was used for the establishment of a National Controlling Body for Aviation.

In 1939 as World War II hostilities began, Aero Club opened a Civil Pilots register to enable government to readily mobilize those in civil aviation or those with any past flying experience. When war was declared all the established flying clubs were turned into military units with many of these men giving the SAAF a name and reputation unequalled before.

At the end of the war in 1945 the Aero Club set about the re-establishment of clubs throughout South Africa. Initially the Aero Club represented only power flying but as other branches of aviation developed new sections were formed.

Schlessinger Race Program

Sub committees were formed to run the various sections, the main one still being the Power Flying committee. As other forms of aviation gained popularity the other sections showed rapid growth.

In the late 1980’s the sections of Aero Club were constituted as independent organisations all affiliated to Aero Club and subscribing to the aims and objectives of Aero Club in their particular branch of aviation. The first committees of the independent sections took office in 1988. The sections are:- Power Flying, Gliding, Parachuting, Aerobatics, Ballooning, Hang Gliding & Paragliding, Aero-Modelling, Homebuilders, Microlighting, Experimental Aircraft, Gyro Planes, Virtual Aviation, Rocketry and Disabled Aviators.

Aero Club is affiliated to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale – the world controlling body for sport aviation. No competitive recreational flying activity in South Africa is recognized without Aero Club approval. This includes world record attempts.

Recently, the Aero Club became involved in development programs to expose those previously isolated communities to aviation and liaise such with the Department of Sport and Recreation. The development actions of SAPFA can be found here.

A general committee elected by the members and representing each of the 14 sections, is responsible for the administration and development of the Aero Club’s policies in the interest and well being of sport aviation in South Africa.

Since 1937 Aero Club and SAPFA have been organising the President’s Trophy Air Race (formerly the Governor General’s Cup Air Race). For more information on the history of this event – see Race History