Parer & McIntosh

July 30, 2008 7:25 PM

Ray Parer & J C McIntosh; The Flying Wreck.In 1919 six teams entered an Air Race from England to Australia, but only two teams finished. The winning team finished in 28 days, while the second team didn't even get started until the race was already over, but they didn't let that stop them. Ray Parer and John McIntosh in their de Havilland DH9 airplane deviated considerably from their intended course, suffered many mechanical problems, had 7 crash landings, and took 237 days to finish. But they sure did have an adventure.

In 1934 Parer and a new co-pilot entered the MacRobertson Air Race and had a similar experience.

posted by homunculus (8 comments total)

Sorry about all the Wayback links, but the best source for information doesn't seem to be up anymore.
posted by homunculus at 7:26 PM on July 30, 2008

What a story... I found the style of writing in the first link a little twee, but it's still a great read. Thanks for the post!
posted by twirlypen at 7:53 PM on July 30, 2008

great stuff, homonculus. too bad about the wayback files, would have been nice to hear that tape.
posted by mwhybark at 10:20 PM on July 30, 2008

Parer and McIntosh are the most unlucky, lucky, persistent, skilled (in the duct tape and wire school of aircraft repair) people I have ever read about. Simply amazing. Appropriately, at the very end of their hair-raising trip, the plane does a complete flip during the landing, yet they somehow escape unharmed. But they have to send the plane on ahead in many pieces by railroad. They secretly get in another aircraft for the final landing in front of the waiting crowds.
posted by eye of newt at 10:47 PM on July 30, 2008

i enjoyed that story. Thanks.
posted by grubby at 3:51 AM on July 31, 2008

The resourcefulness and endurance of these guys is truly amazing. What a great post, thanks.
posted by Nick Verstayne at 5:20 AM on July 31, 2008

"I couldn't help it, old man," whispered Parer.

"Of course you couldn't," replied McIntosh huskily.

Aeronaut Slash Fiction, here we come!
posted by sixswitch at 2:26 PM on July 31, 2008

This is amazing, I love reading the story of all the misadventures, it really brings back to reality all those old movies about air-races.
posted by Jerub at 10:27 PM on August 2, 2008