The achingly beautiful de Havilland DH.88 Comet christened ‘Grosvenor House’. (image: Kev Gregory / Shutterstock.com)

The Comet

The MacRobertson Air Race of 1934 marked the beginning of modern air travel and the beginning of the end of the Golden Age of Aviation.

It was a time when daring—or simply dangerous—aviation events were concocted for the slightest of excuses. In the case of the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race it was nominally to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city of…