Royal Air Force Pageant (1934)

Full title reads: “ROYAL AIR FORCE PAGEANT“. Hendon, London. Various shots of the Hendon air field just before the start of the huge Royal Air Force pageant with over 200 planes taking part in it. Crowds, full stands, long lines of planes ready for the show, field packed with parked cars. Prince of Wales (Prince Edward, later King Edward VIII, later Duke of Windsor) leaving his plane and shakes hands with officials and RAF officers. Various shots of the fly past - planes flying in various formations, crowds watching. A parachute, high in the air, bursts into flames and drops down. Formation of planes flying and is shot at by antiaircraft guns from the ground - clouds of smoke fill the screen. This is a stunt performance demonstrating great skills of the RAF men. Unfortunately, voiceover informs that one machine crashes in flames and one person dies - the Observer Squadron Leader Stanley Collett, son of the Lord Mayor of London. Note: Pageant took place on 30 June 1934. FILM ID: A VIDEO FROM