THE MODERN VOGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 90, 17 April 1929, Page 7

THE MODERN VOGUE.

Impressions Of Britain-To-India

Voyage.

EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April IG. The Hon. Mary Diana Chetwynd, daughter of Lord Chetwynd, vicechairman of Imperial Airways, Limited, who arrived in London on Sunday from Karachi in the first India-England air liner, had never previously entered an aeroplane.

She says the journey was extremely comfortable and interesting and she had never experienced one moment s nervousness. She is the first woman to make this particular flight.

Sir Yyell Vyvyan. who made the cb üble journey to India and back, covering 10,000 miles in 15 days, said the only trouble he experienced was caused by sandstorms, which even extended to a* height of 10,000 feet. The oppressive

heat of the Persian Gulf was avoided by flying above it at an altitude of GOOO feet. The total flying time was u4 hours each way. I The Secretary of State for Air. Sir I Samuel Hoare, also flew about 10.000 miles in 15 days, including several | thousand miles over the northern part l of the African air route to Capetown. I He went nearly as far as Uganda. The new 5000

miles Imperial Airways route had been opened most auspiciously. said Sir Samuel. It marked the beginning of the Empire work of Imperial air routes. The entire journey from London to India and back was made in less time

than the fastest shipping transport.

travelling night and day, takes to make the journey one wa v.

The time occupied in the transport I mails between England and India is tluis reduced by at least half. The , route crosses 13 countries, the machines alighting in India, Baluchistan, Persia. Iraq, Transjordania, Palestine, Egypt. Italian Libya. Greece, Italy, Switzerland. France and England. I Three different types of machines are ' being operated on the route. The section j from India along the Persian Gulf and over Iraq, via Basra and Bagdad to Egypt, is llown by triple-screw de Havilland-Jupiter air liners, especially built for operating in the extreme climatic conditions which prevail there. In Egypt a change is made to big nll- • metal Short .lupiter fl\ing-boats. which carry the mail to Genoa. There they are ;• placed on board a night train to Ba-de, , Switzerland. This is the only section iof the entire journey not covered by 'air. i At Basle the mails are transferred to ".!! -neater t ripie-st rew Armstrong-Sidde-Icy air liners and are flown via Paris to London.