The Manx Air Race
The following report was made on an air race held at the Isle of Man, England: Manx Air Race 1932. Held Saturday, 18 June, total Island course: 108 miles (174 km). At the end of the two laps it was Ashwell Cook with Tom Campbell Black as navigator, who came through to win in a Circus Moth aircraft averaging 102 mph (164 km/h). The following references to Tom Black are recorded in the history of "Firbeck Hall", an elegant country home in England dating from circa 1585, that in the mid-1930s was converted into one of the country's most exclusive sporting country clubs.
| “ | An aerodrome had been constructed to the west of the hall under the direction of Capt. Tom Campbell Black the joint winner of the 1934 Mildenhall-Melbourne Air Race. Cyril Nicholson had funded the purchase of a de Havilland DH.88 Comet in 1935 at a cost of 10,000 pounds for Campbell Black to attempt further endurance flights. It was intended to name the aircraft Firbeck and start many of the flights from Firbeck following the extension to the length of the aerodrome to accommodate the heavily laded aircraft during takeoff.
Lady Fielding convinced Cyril Nicholson to name the aircraft Boomerang as it would always come back. Boomerang did not live up to her name and in a near fatal accident over Africa the Comet was written off and Campbell Black's aspirations of flying from Firbeck to the Cape and back in a weekend came to an end. It was Tom Campbell Black's previous connections with the Prince of Wales during their flights looking for game in Africa that persuaded the Prince equerry to alter the itinerary of a royal engagement to Sheffield and visit the club. |
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| — Firbeck Hall History |
Read more about this topic: Tom Campbell Black
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