The Manx Air Derby is an

air race Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a pre ...

held on the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

Origins

Air races had been held sporadically on the

from 1924. Entrants were permitted to use two fields at

Ronaldsway Ronaldsway () is a settlement in the parish of Malew in the south of the Isle of Man, between the village of Ballasalla and the town of Castletown. Features It is notable as the location of Isle of Man Airport and historically of RNAS Ronaldsw ...

on the proviso that the entry was limited to 10 aircraft. The race schedule was organised into a more ambitious programme for the 1936 meeting, which was the first to adopt the name of Manx Air Derby. Racing took place on

Whit Monday Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday, also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in the Christian liturgical calendar. It is moveable because it is determined by the date of Easter. In ...

over a course measuring . The race was won by R. F. Hall piloting a Hillson Praga, and was notable as being the first Manx Air Derby in which

Alex Henshaw Alexander Adolphus Dumphries Henshaw, (7 November 1912 – 24 February 2007) was a British air racer in the 1930s and a test pilot for Vickers-Armstrongs during the Second World War. Early life Henshaw was born in Peterborough, the eldest son ...

competed. The races continued until 1939, and were suspended during the Second World War.

Post-war

The Manx Air Derby resumed in 1947 at Ronaldsway, and was held in conjunction with the Tynwald Air Races. The Manx Air Derby was won by Tommy Rose piloting a TK-2, which had won the pre-war races. After 1947, the races were not held again until they were revived in 1965 at Jurby Aerodrome.

References

Citations

Bibliography

*{{wikicite, ref={{harvid, Kniveton, 1985, reference=Kniveton, G. ''Manx Aviation in War and Peace''. Douglas, Isle of Man, The Manx Experience, 1985. Air races