This was the first ever exhibition flight made in Auckland and in New Zealand.
Around 30,000 excited Aucklanders turned out at the Domain to watch this demonstration of flight by 'Wizard' Stone who had been engaged in Australia by a New Zealand syndicate to tour New Zealand. However the excitement of the large crowd (around 10,000 of whom had paid to be in the inner enclosure to see this rare feat) turned to disappointment and anger. This extract from the Evening Post's article dated the 21st of April 1913 explains what happened:
"The great white machine skimmed lightly over the broad expense of green, with its pinions outstretched for flight, and lifted gracefully into the air without a quiver. It was a great sight, and Auckland eagerly strained its eye to follow the aeroplane's flight.
Taking a slanting course, the monoplane soared out and up; then, even while the first outburst of cheering and handclapping echoed across the cricket ground, It suddenly tilted to one side, dipped uncertainly, and was seen swinging round towards Parnell instead of keeping straight on towards Newmarket.
For a few seconds it held along with wobbling wing, but speedily alighted with a bump on the slope of the opposite hill in the Outer Domain, and New Zealand's first aeroplane flight had come to an abrupt and unexpected end!
The actual time of flight was 35sec, a distance of 500 or 600 yards being covered.
MACHINE DAMAGED.
A clamour of eager conjecture rose from the excited crowd, and there was a general stampede across the ground. Thousands who had evaded payment of the lawful shilling now had the best of it. In a few seconds the aeronaut and his Bleriot and the entire hillside were hidden from view by what appeared to be a large and singularly close-hung swarm of bees,
Presently mounted police cut a wide swathe through the crowd, and the machine reappeared like a big wounded bird fluttering back to its nest. It came down the slope with a crowd behind supporting Its drooping tail. It was lifted bodily over the boundary fence, back across the Cricket Ground, and finally disappeared into its improvised home.
HOSTILE DEMONSTRATION.
A hostile demonstration quickly followed. There was loud hooting and angry yells. "Give us back our money", "Go up again" filled the air. Presently the crowd attempted to rush the tent. Mounted police endeavoured to keep them back, and in the confusion following one of the horses became ehtangled in a tent rope and came down right in the thick of the crowd.
Fortunately, the well-trained animal lay comparatively quiet, no one being injured, and the rope was quickly cut and the horse released. Then the crowd closed in again, angrier than ever, and for a few moments things looked serious. The sergeant of police finally suggested to the party inside the tent that unless they wanted the whole outfit crocked some effort had better be made to pacify the mob outside, as his men could not hold them back much longer. A diplomatic rumour was started by some peacemaker that Stone would go up again.
Stone had not the faintest intention of going up again, being at that moment engaged in taking his machine to pieces, the wings and tail having been injured by the hustling of the crowd when he came down. However, the uproar gradually subsided, and after waiting round for an hour or so longer the dissatisfied crowd finally d ispersed.
AIRMAN EXPLAINS.
When seen later by a Herald representative Stone expressed the keenest disappointment at his failure to satisfy the public. In explaining his short flight and quick descent he said that although there was not a breath of wind the day was far from ideal for flying purposes. A fifteen mile an hour breeze would materially have helped him to make a quicker ascent, and so to have easily cleared the crowd. As it was, in circling round so as to rise up behind the trees he was unfortunate in being driven down by a gust of wind. He thought it safer to effect an immediate landing and to start again.
"If it had not been for the absurd behaviour of the vast crowd which was watching without paying I should have started the engine again and resumed my flight," he continued, "but as it was they surged around me in hundreds and actually trampled on the machine's tail, doing so much damage as to render further flight impossible." The airman concluded by saying that he would not leave Auckland until he had thoroughly satisfied the public. "You may take it for granted," he said, "that my next exhibition will be given at a place where the crowds can be properly controlled, and where the conditions for flight are better than they are in the Domain."
