The great London to Victoria Air Race

There was only one aircraft from Essex County participating in this Air Race. The aircraft was a Piper Twin Comanche owned by Dr. Murray O’Neil, a well known medical Specialist and Entrepreneur as well as an Aviation enthusiast and a great benefactor of the Canadian Aviation Museum. The articles below are a chronicle of the Air Race based on, or from Articles written in the Windsor Star in 1971 as well a a book by the same name.

Air entry heading to start 

The only Windsor entry in the London-to-Victoria Air Race landed safely in Iceland Monday night, en route to the starting line. (Jun. 22. 1971)

Dr. Walter Baranowsky (R) and Dr. Murray O’Neil (L) left Windsor in their twin-engined Piper Comanche June ll. They are scheduled to arrive in Shaman, lreland today.

The doctors called home Monday night after landing at Reykjavik. Iceland. They flew from Windsor to Quebec City to Gander and Goose Bay, Labrador. then started across the North Atlantic. touching down at Narsarsuaq, Greenland and Keflavik and Reykjavik, Iceland. 

From Shannon they plan to fly to Cork, Ireland and Prestwiclt, Scotland, before heading to Abbington, England, near London, where the inter- continental air race is scheduled to begin July 1. 

The doctors reported that the weather has been good all along the way and that their aircraft “is running beautifully.” 

The London-to-Victoria air race, which is being held as part of British Columbia’: centennial celebration, is scheduled to end at Victoria July 7. 

The Windsor doctors among 73 entries in the contest. Aircraft taking part in the race range from small single-engined light planes to twin-engined businwfl jets.

The contestants have to be at Abington by June 28 for pre-race briefings and technical and safety inspection of their planes.

Windsor men ready for race

Windsor‘s “flying physicians” have arrived in Lon- don. England to prepare for the start of a London-to-Victoria air race. (Jun. 25.1971)

Dr. Murray O’Neil and Dr. Walter Baronowsky left Windsor in their twin-engined Piper Comanche six days ago, and arrived in Lon- don Wednesday after hopping across Canada, the North Atlantic, Ireland and Scotland. 

They will fly to Abingdon. about 60 miles northwest of London, on Monday to begin pre~race briefings and safety and technical inspections of their plane. 

The race. which is being sponsored by the British Columbia and Canadian governments to mark B.C. centennial year. will begin July 1. The last plane is expected to cross the finish line at Victoria July 7. 

“They called home today and report that they have been graciously received at every airport at which they landed,” Mrs. O’Neil said this morning. “The weather has been very good almost all the way. They plan to fly to Abingdon on Monday.” she said. 

The Windsor doctors. who fly for a hobby. are members of the Windsor Flying Club.

Windsor MDs get briefing on London-to-Victoria race 

The contestants in the Lon- don-to-Victoria Air Race. including a Windsor entry piloted by two doctors. head for Abington. England, today for pre-race briefings and safety inspections of their aircraft. (Jun. 28.1971)

More than 60 aircraft, ranging from small, single- engined private planes to multi-engined corporate and military jets. are entered in the 6,000-mile race which begins July 1.

The Windsor entry ls a twin- engined Piper Twin Comanche that will be flown by Dr. Walter Baranowski and Dr. Murray O’Neil. The doctors left Windsor June 16 and landed at London six days later after crossing the North Atlantic by way of Greenland, Iceland, Ireland and Scotland. 

The race is scheduled to end at Victoria July 7. The trans-Atlantic contest is being sponsored by the British Columbia and Canadian governments as part of British Columbia‘s centennial cele- brations. 

The doctors will be joined by their wives at Ottawa. Mrs. Baranowski and Mrs. O’Neil will fly ahead of their hus- bands by scheduled airline to way points at Winnipeg, Regina. Calgary and Victoria. 

The contestants will fly from Abingdon to Shannon. Ireland. then across the North Atlantic to Gander. Nfld.: then to Quebec City and Ottawa. They will be competing for more than $170,000 in prize money.

2 ‘Flying MDs’ take a break (Jul.03.1971)

After 48 straight hours without sleep, Windsor’s two flying doctors arrived in Quebec City Friday afternoon, flopped into bed for a full night’s sleep and are now rested and ready for the overland flight to British Columbia. 

Dr. Walter Baranowski and Dr. Murray O’Neil. flying in aircraft No. 6, a Piper Twin Comanche. are among 57 teams participating in an international air race from England to Victoria. So far, they have put in 20 hours and 57 minutes of flying time from “wheels up” until they crossed a control point in Quebec City on Friday. “It was a beautiful sight as we came in.” Dr. 0’Neil said that the weather from Iceland to Goose Bay was “not that good” and the airport at Goose Bay was so bad that they had to he talked down for the landing. 

The doctors said they planned to just sit around today and rest up in preparation for the next and shortst leg, of the race. They take off Sunday for Ottawa. Quebec City was the first gathering point for the competitors. Their ‘l’win Piper Comanche was the second aircraft to ar- rivein Quebec City, following an Aerostar which represents British Columbia. The race itself is being held as part of the BC Centennial cele- brations. However. their ar- rival position does not necessarily indicate what position they hold in the race as planes are handicapped according to their known cruising speeds. 

Forty-one of 57 airplanes entered in the $170,000 race had reached Quebec City late Friday. Two entries had earlier been rescued from the Atlantic and another bad been disqualified after a fight be- tween its two crew members. Two planes made forced landings on the Atlantic crossing, but the occupants of both planes were recovered safely. A spokesman for the Air- Sea Rescue Centre in Halifax said Ron Bennett and Brian Float, both of Melbourne, Australia, were picked up after their Twin Commanche is believed to have run out of fuel in heavy rain and fog near Goose Bay. 

Danish helicopters rescued W. S. Snyder of Brampton. Ont. and P. R. Gilmore of Don Mills, Ont. after their single- engined Viking 300 crash landed on an ice-flow ott‘ the south coast of Greenland. 

Roger Hannagan, of Canby. Ore. was disqualified for modifying his team without the one hour notice required by the race rules. Mr. Hannagan. 22. was reported to have had a mid-air argument with his team-mate. and after a fight on a landing strip at Ayr, Scotland to have headed across the Atlantic alone. 

Dr. Lawrence Dennis. a 56- year-old osteopath from Milwaukee. 0re.. in hospital with head cuts and bruises, told police he had insisted that he and Mr. Hannagan turn back tor repairs. He said they had landed at Ayr. and after a scuffle on the tarmac. his team-mate had left him lying on the runway and left with the plane. 

The rest of the 53 entries who left Abington, England. Thursday, everything from single engine jobs to sleek, powerful executive jets. were due to arrive here early this morning.  

Claude Butler. a Victoria businessman, was the first to land his plane at the nearby Ancienne Lorette airport. Butler was the first to leave England after Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier W. A. C. Bennett of British Columbia started the race Thursday by transatlantic telephone from Victoria. 

The competitors. who represent nine countries are vying for a $50,000 first prize and a total of $170,000, one of the largest prizes in aviation history. The flyers who most exceed a handicap determined by the known cruising speed of their aircraft will win the stakes, offered as part of the centennial celebrations of British Columbia. Quebec City was the first of five scheduled stops along the route. The aviators are to stop in Ottawa on Sunday, and in Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary before they reach their goal in Victoria. The flyers were to remain here today for welcoming ceremonies and a night cruise on the St. Lawrence River. Standings in the race will not be available until later today because the various handicaps had to be compared with actual performances. said a spokesman for Information Canada. which is handling public relations for the race. He said that most planes arrived three hours ahead of their scheduled times because of favorable winds.

Flying doctors now 10th, 54 pilots left in air race. (Jul. 5. 1971)

Windsor‘s “flying physicians“ leave Ottawa today on the longest Canadian leg of the London-to-Victoria Air Race. a 1.049-mile hop from the capital to Winnipeg. Sunday, Dr. Murray O‘Neil and his co-pilot. Dr. Walter Baranowski. completed the shortest stage of the 5.80l}mile trans-Atlantic contest. the 180-mile flight from Quebec City to Ottawa.

“We stood tenth in the standings on our arrival in Quebec City. but I think we lost some ground on the flight to Ottawa,” Dr. Baranowski said in Ottawa Sunday night. “Things have gone very well. We’ve learned a lot and are having a lot of fun.” Dr. Baranowski stated. 

Mrs. O’Neil and Mrs. Baranowski joined their husbands in Ottawa. and plan to fly ahead of the race by scheduled airlines to Victoria. The Windsor doctors are flying a twin-engined Piper Twin Comanche. They left Windsor for England June 16. The race began at Abingdon. Eng. July l and is scheduled to end in Victoria Wednesday.

The wives of Windsor‘s “living physicians” had a brief stopover in Windsor today as they paced their husbands in the air race. Mrs. Judy O’Neil and Mrs. Donna Baranowski were greeted by relatives on a 20- minute stopover at Windsor Airport on an Ottawa to Winnipeg Air Canada flight. Looking fresh and bright. they dropped off laundry and other excess baggage given to them by their husbands and picked up additional supplies for the journey west. 

Their husbands left Ottawa shortly after the Air Canada flight departed. Today they fly the longest Canadian leg of the 5.800-mile air race. Fifty-two planes took off at five-minute intervals beginning at 7 a.m. If necessary  the contestants can land at North Bay. Sault Ste. Marie or Thunder Bay to refuel on the 1.049-mile flight to Winnipeg. 

Mrs. Baranowski had the couple’s two children. David and Susan with her. Mrs. O’Neil flew to England to be with her husband at the start of the race July l and returned to Windsor later the same day. The following day she flew to Ottawa where she joined Mrs. Baranowski and the children. The women will fly ahead of the race, joining their husbands at Winnipeg and Victoria. J. H. Blumschien, of Meinerzhagen. West Germany, flying a Swearingen Merlin lll turboprop, remains in the lead in the pursuit of the 550.000 top prize in the London-Victoria air race. 

Mr. Blurnschein flew his German-built aircraft to Ottawa from Quebec City under sunny skies Sunday and scored a perfect 100 points for the lap outflying the 53 other pilots still in the gruelling race. But close behind is T. D. Philips of Wicklow, Ireland. Mr. Philips flying a Piper Twin Comanche improved his standing Sunday to second place from third and was second on the Quebec City to Ottawa leg with 99 points. Moving into third position in the race and taking third place in the Sunday leg was J. Wright, of Edmonton. The race, with a record total $170,000 in prizes is being cosponsored by the Canadian and British Columbia governments as part of B.C.‘s centennial celebration. 

Fifty-seven aircraft ranging from small single-engine propeller planes to executive-type jets took off into a stormy North Atlantic. Two planes crash-landed, one on an ice floe off Greenland and another near Goose Bay. Labrador. The pilots and crew were rescued. Two of the planes that left London are apparently still in Iceland with unknown problems. Perhaps the unhappiest pilot is one who is still flying but who has been disqualified. He is Roger Hannagan, 22. of Canby. Oregon who added a bit of drama to the race by scuffling with his co-pilot on a runway at Prestwick. Scotland. Scoring for the air race is on a handicap basis based on the performance of the planes in relation to their known cruising speeds.