RECORD FLIGHT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 269, 26 August 1946, Page 2

RECORD FLIGHT

ARRIVAL OF ARIES FROM ENGLAND TWO DETOURS MADE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 25. The long distance flight record from England to New Zealand is now held by the R.A.F. Lancaster Aries, which arrived over Ohakea aerodrome at 12.29 p.m. on Saturday, 59 hours 51 minutes after leaving Black Bush airport. The actual flying time was 55 hours 13 minutes, and 52 minutes were clipped off the record.

Disaster nearly overtook the plane at Negombo aerodrome, -Ceylon, when heavily laden but airborne (die struck a palm tree at the end of tli\e runway. This mishap tore away the radar scanning equipment attached to the underside of the plane and hasty repairs were made to the fulseage at Darwin, hut the equipment itself has not yet been repaired. On the outward flight from England icing conditions made a detour around the Alps by way of Marseilles unavoidable, and the aircraft on its hop to Bombay could not obtain enough ceiling to fly over the top of India because a monsoon was encountered and this necessitated another detour to Negombo, Ceylon. “Otherwise the flight was pleasant enough, but the Tasman crossing was a hit bumpy,” said Air Commodore N. 11. d’Atli, who is in charge of the Aries’ mission. The Australian coast was left north of Brisbane at 7.15 a.m. New Zealand time and the mouth of the Wanganui River was reached at 12.22 p.m. and this Tasman crossing in 5 hours 7 minutes was a near record. The crew were met and welcomed at Ohakea by Air Commodore Wellingford, Mr T. A. Barrow, Air Secretary, and a fairly large crowd. The crew had their third real meal since leaving England on Ohakea station —and had their second shave when 15,000 feet above the Tasman —and had been forewarned about New Zealand’s meat and butter rationing. They showed decided interest in the suggestion of surrendering meat and butter coupons in the Food for Britain campaign by those who wished to inspect the aircraft. The cdmment of one flight sergeant was “anyone ' can give me a butter coupon if they wish to see me.”

Personnel of Plane

The personnel carried by the plane are all English unless otherwise stated : Air Commodore d’Ath; Squadron Leader J. E. Aldridge, captain of the aircraft ; Flight Lieutenant D. D. Hurditch, second pilot, who is an Australian; Squadron Leader J. G. Messenger. first navigator and deputy mission commander; Squadron Leader .T. •T. McDowell, second navigator, of Christchurch, the only New Zealander ; Flight Lieutenant J. A. Woof, third navigator; Flying Officer T.’H. Graham, first wireless operator, ’who replaced a fellow officer who died before the plane left England; Flight Sergeant L. K. Dobson, second wireless operator and electrical maintenance; Flying Officer K. M. Cooke, in charge of maintenance; Flight Sergeant A. E. C. Brookin, fitter and engine maintenance, and Sergeant- R. M. Slowe, radar maintenance.

Squadron-Leader McDowell was met by his wife and daughter at Ohakea and is staying in Palmerston North. The only other member of the crew with a tie in New Zealand is Flight Sergeant Dobson, whose cousin, an electrical engineer in Lower Hutt, emigrated from Scotland 10 years ago and married a New Zealander.

The Minister of Finance, (the Rt. Hon. W. Nash), immediately he heard of Ihe arrival of the Aries, offered congratulations to the crew on the success of their flight. Mr Nash said that.from his experience in the civil transport version of the Lancaster bomber, he fully appreciated the performance put up by the Aries, and was sure the public would feel likewise about the flight. The Minister expressed a hope that the record achieved by the Aries would be noted, and would be matched by a record collection of food coupons in the drive to supply more food to Britain. '

The crew .of the Aries brought a message from the British Minister of Food (Mr John Strachey), expressing appreciation of New Zealand’s efforts to date to assist the people of Britain.