RAF Air Pageants Hendon 1920-1939
by Baron Halpenny, LincsMag Editor.
Date: 01 May 2012
LincsMag Star Rating: 
Classification Rating: Exempt from classification
General Running Time: 1 hour 20 mins
Number of discs: 1
Label: Strike Force Entertainment (SFE)
The Royal Air Force's annual Hendon Air Pageants were held during the inter-war years at the now defunct airfield where today's RAF Museum is situated.
These air shows were the forerunner of the post-war Farnborough Air Shows, and our now well known and famous International RAF Waddington Air Show, and regularly attracted crowds of half a million with over 250 aircraft in the sky. Impressive, even for today!
The first RAF 'Pageant' was held in 1920. In 1925 it became known as the 'Royal Air Force Display' before, in 1938, being known briefly as the 'Empire Air Day'.
These interesting films, which include fantastic air-to-air shots from the newsreel cameramen, have all been compiled in chronological order from 1920 until the final display at Hendon in 1951, along with all the surviving promotional `trailers' for the shows and retrospective news reports on each year's show.
Interesting snippets
A few snippets to mention (I give general minutes and seconds of them as they appear in the DVD for easy location), though of course there are many depending on your personal interests in this type of historical film, are:
At around 11:05 into the DVD there is a “Pterodactyl” – built like a bat ... hummm? An early Avro Vulcan? We see it again on the ground at around 23:33.
These early first clips are from the 1920s and so naturally enough, have no sound, this means that music is used in the DVD and Farnborough commentator John Blake narrates. Blake is reasonably knowledgeable but at around 11:25 he calls an obvious autogyro a ... helicopter! Tut-tut!
At 25:50 that intriguing craft again is seen as it lands, and looks so very like the Delta Lady ... you will see it again later on.
26:44 shows “Defence of London, the supreme thrill will be an Aerial Battle in the defence of London” ... this was done in 1927 and to think that over a decade later there would be the “Battle of Britain” as our lads did not just the defence of London but also Britain as a whole.
Sound Arrives
And that leads nicely to a mention that at around 34:50 it shows an early all metal German aircraft.
At 41:00 it now shows that by 1930 newsreels were being projected with their own soundtracks, and we see at this point in the DVD the R101 airship, which was at the time (1930) the largest airship in the world.
Anyway, I will leave it for you to look out the best bits that you like.
Summing Up
Very much a DVD for historians and keen aviation enthusiasts as it gives a fantastic glimpse to a bygone time
and where flying was still in its infancy. It gives a good chance to see these early aircraft and it's good that
DVDs like this are helping to not just preserve these films but make them available for everyone to enjoy.
To purchase Royal Air Force Collection -Royal Air Force Air Pageants Hendon 1920 To 1939 [DVD]
