THE prestigious Royal Aero Club confirmed this week that the famous pre-war Teignmouth air races would be revived this summer.
The club's Records Racing and Rally Association (3Rs) will hold the Devon Air Races over the weekend of July 17/18, with aircraft racing from Eaglescott airfield in north Devon.
The Saturday race, which is likely to be called the Teignmouth Air Race Trophy, is expected to finish along the sea front at Teignmouth. The Sunday race will be on a 25-mile circuit around Eaglescott, and will qualify for this year's British Air Racing Championship.
'We will be having a site visit later this month, weather permitting, to finalise the race course,' said RAC spokesman Stephen Ollier. 'Safety is paramount, and careful planning has to be carried out, and then the Civil Aviation Authority has to approve the route, so it will take a little time before the final course is known.'
Teignmouth town councillors have already welcomed the news, described by Cllr Sylvia Russell as an 'exciting project' which would help to 'put Teignmouth back on the map'.
Beryl King, honorary curator of the town's museum, which has a permanent display devoted to the story of Haldon aerodrome and air racing, said that she was thrilled at the prospect.
'I'm just so delighted that it's happening again, and it should draw large crowds to Teignmouth for the spectacle,' she said. 'We've got the old windsock in the museum, and it will be back up at Haldon on the day to act as a turning point for the aircraft.'
The far-sighted W R (Bill) Parkhouse founded Haldon aerodrome in 1928, and for 11 glorious years it played an important role in the development of commercial and private aviation.
Air rallies and the annual competition for the famous Teignmouth Air Trophy caught the public imagination, and up to 60,000 spectators used to squeeze onto the tiny airfield.
The residents of Teignmouth subscribed for the 100-guinea silver trophy, which is now in the museum. To win it, pilots had to beat others in a handicap race, open to all types of aircraft, over a 32-mile course starting and finishing at Haldon.
Turning points were the Belvedere Tower on Great Haldon and Haytor Rocks, both points being visible from the aerodrome.
On the outbreak of war in 1939, all civil flying ceased, and the airfield was taken over by the Air Ministry as a test base. It was subsequently used as a Fleet Air Arm station, and later still as an RAF glider school.
Unfortunately, post-war efforts to restart civil flying failed, and the aerodrome was abandoned. The old clubhouse lasted until about 1977, when it was destroyed in a fire.
Nationally, however, air racing has never disappeared. The annual King's Cup was first awarded by George V in 1922, and is hotly contested to this day. In the 1980s the spirit of seaplane racing was rekindled with the rebirth of the famed Schneider Trophy. These two, together with a series of other events, go to make up the modern handicap air-racing season.
Races are held at venues around Europe, but mainly in the UK, including Alderney, and the Republic of Ireland. Racing culminates with the British Air Racing Championship and the European Air Racing Championship.
Generally, the races comprise four or five laps of a course of 25 miles centred on the airfield, with a staggered start on handicap, designed to produce a simultaneous finish. Spectators are therefore able to see both the start and finish.
The handicapping is now based on the latest technology, utilising the satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) to measure the maximum speeds and heights of the aircraft.
Races are occasionally held from point to point and from country to country. Racing pilots – men and women- come from all walks of life and localities, and the aircraft are as varied as the pilots.
In speed they range from 100mph to nearly 250mph, encompassing training aircraft through to executive twins, single-seat racers to classic tourers, homebuilts to 'war birds'.
In the 2003 season, John Spooner flying a Beech Bonanza won the Schneider Trophy. Geoff Boot won the King's Cup flying a British-built Beagle Pup 150, and Robert Miller took the British Air Racing Championship in a Slingsby.
The organisers of the Devon Air Races are looking for sponsorship for the weekend of July 17/18, and also for volunteer marshals and stewards. For further details please contact David Tickell, Teignmouth town clerk, on 01626 775030.