ation ▁manager ▁Captain ▁Tom ▁Campbell ▁Black ▁fle w ▁another ▁Com et , ▁a ▁red ▁aircraft , ▁dub bed ▁" G ros ven or ▁House " ▁by ▁the ▁historic ▁hotel ' s ▁owner . ▁A ▁third ▁de ▁Hav ill and ▁D H ▁ 8 8 ▁Com et ▁was ▁flow n ▁by ▁C ath cart ▁Jones ▁and ▁K . ▁F . ▁W aller , ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁fourth ▁aer op lane ▁to ▁arrive ▁in ▁Melbourne . ▁ ▁A ▁day ▁after ▁the ▁race ▁began , ▁an ▁enthus i astic ▁Sir ▁Mac ph erson ▁Robert son ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁Australian ▁Broadcast ing ▁Commission ▁Studios ▁in ▁Melbourne , ▁and ▁he ▁said : ▁ ▁" D ear ▁friends ▁early ▁yesterday ▁morning ▁before ▁the ▁sun ▁had ▁pe aked ▁over ▁the ▁horizon ▁to ▁dis per se ▁the ▁m ists ▁en sh r oud ing ▁the ▁M ild en hall ▁Aer od rome ▁in ▁Su ff olk , ▁the ▁compet itors ▁of ▁the ▁Mac Ro bert son ▁International ▁Air ▁Race ▁were ▁await ing ▁the ▁signal ▁to ▁start ▁on ▁the ▁ep ic ▁flight ▁of ▁ 1 1 , 3 2 3 ▁miles . ▁Never ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁av iation ▁has ▁there ▁been ▁such ▁a ▁line up ▁of ▁av i ators ▁and ▁never ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁has ▁there ▁been ▁such ▁an ▁aer ial ▁contest . ▁The ▁Melbourne ▁newspaper ▁" The ▁Arg us " ▁said ▁in ▁its ▁editor ial : ▁" In ▁an ▁age ▁of ▁extraordinary ▁mechanical ▁progress ▁one ▁takes ▁many ▁things ▁for ▁granted ; ▁but ▁flight ▁half way - ac