The Mondello airfield
The airfield was located at the Bay of
Mondello, which faces northeast and is dominated
on the right by the 600 metre Monte Pellegrino
and on the left by the hills of Capo Gallo. It
was situated around 9 km north of central
Palermo, but it was accessible by train and bus,
as well as by sea.
Today the area is a seaside resort, but in 1910 a
newly built canal, finished earlier in the year,
had just drained the malaria-infested swamps of
the bay and made it possible to develop the area.
The canal, roughly parallel to the coastline,
actually served as the border of the airfield.
A four-pylon course of around 1.5 kilometres was
marked up. Each of the competitors was provided
with a hangar, built of wood and fabric. The
time-keepers were housed in a brick building,
where also the signal mast for informing about
events and results was arranged. Grandstands, a
restaurant and several bars were also provided.
In front of the grandstands were boxes with
chairs that could be rented for four lire per
day.
A plan of the airfield. North is at four
o'clock. (1)
A Blériot, probably Kuhling's, in front of
the hangars, with the scenic Monte Pellegrino
in the background. (1)
Kinet flying above the grandstands, also with
Monte Pellegrino in the background. (1)
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