RAPID EXPANSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 9

RAPID EXPANSION.

IMPERIAL AIRWAYS. i Extension of Route to Cape and Australia. PLANS FOR THIS YEAR. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright] (Received 12.30 p.m.) ; LONDON, February 7. ) Lord Thomson, Secretary for Air, says ; he is awaiting an announcement from I Australia about vital sections of tlic ! route, but he expects an extension of | the Imperial Airways service to Australia this year, and also one to the Cape of Good Hope, making the length of air communications 35,000 miles, as against 19,000 in 1929. The Minister declared [ that Imperial Airways was the nearest , to being self-supporting of any civil . aviation enterprise. The future of I Empire air transport lies largely with airships. ; NOTABLE AIR FEATS. Remarkable Year of British Successes. | WHOLESALE RECORDS. I . . , (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 7. Notable performances in British aviation in the past year were celebrated at ; the Royal Aero Club dinner, at which ! the Duke of York presided on Weclnesi day evening., Among others, awards were made to Captain Barnard for his flight to India and back in eight days; to the Duchess of Bedford, for her flight to India; to Lady Bailey, for her light aeroplane flight to South Africa and back along the "West Coast; to Flight-Lieutenant Waghorn, for establishing the world's record speed in the Schneider Cup race of 330.1 miles an hour on September 7; to Flight-Lieutenant Atcherley, who two hours later established a new record, 331.6 miles an hour; to Flight-Lieuten-ant Stainforth, who three days later achieved a speed of 336.3 miles an hour; to Squadron-Leader Orlebar, who on September 12 beat all previous records by attaining a speed of 357.7 miles an hour. This record still stands. The Under-Secretary for Air, Mr. F; Montague, expressed the hope that although the Government could not take part in the next Schneider Cup contest, the industry would put forward a British entry. FAREWELL TRIBUTES. Mr. Chichester Embarks for Dominion. TASMAN FLIGHT LATER. (Received T0.30 a.m.) I SYDNEY, this day. When the Maunganui left for Wellington this afternoon with the New Zealand airman, Mr. F. C. Chichester, on board, several aeroplanes flew over the vessel as a tribute to the intrepid aviator. Among those at the wharf were Dr. J. S. Purdy and Mr. H. L. Havyatt. As a parting word Mr. Chichester said he would have liked to fly across the Tasman to the Dominion, and so finished the job. He hoped to attempt thfe task later. Meanwhile he would resume his ordinary vocation in New Zealand. He expressed gratitude for the overwhelming kindness of the Australian people ever since he arrived at Darwin. Mr. Chichester's airplane is on board the Maunganui among the deck cargo aft. Ringing cheers were given when the vessel began to move away. The wealth of coloured streamers broke and became a tangled mass in the hands of the brave airman and his hosts of admirers.