JohnR42

On the last leg of the 1969 BP England - Australia Air Race from Griffith to Bankstown (Sydney) flying a Piper Arrow, having half a mile to run to the reporting line between Camden and Warragamba Dam, picked up the microphone to make our call. It was over two minutes before we could get a word in. The sky to our north was black with aircraft.

We overflew the field at 500 feet to be clocked in and climbed to 1000 feet, right circuit. The tower was supposed to allocate each of us a runway for landing. They gave up and broadcast "pick a 29 runway and land". We landed on 29 centre with an aircraft mid runway rolling through to the end and one turning off at the end. It was the same on all 3 runways. 60 of the 64 aircraft landed in less than ten minutes and only 3 went round.

It was a fitting climax to the "forgotten" air race which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first flight from England to Australia.

PS - we won the single engine class and came 8th overall.

Any pilot who competed might like to reply.