ALOFT AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 123, 27 May 1930, Page 7

ALOFT AGAIN.

CROSSING AUSTRALIA. Miss Johnson's Progress from Darwin. EN ROUTE TO SYDNEY. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright! (Received 11 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. Miss Amy Johnson, accompanied by a Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service 'plane and tv/o Moths, after leaving Darwin yesterday morning, reached. Daly waters (310 miles) at noon. There the flyers had luncheon, afterwards leaving for Alexandra station. Miss Johnson was reported passing over Brunette Downs station, 20 miles short of her destination, Alexandria station. No advice of her arrival there is expected, as the place is entirely isolated. A Brisbane message. states that Miss Johnson will fly to-day to Longreach, stopping at Cainooweal and Cloncurry en "route. The distance is 570 miles. She will be the guest of the GovernorGeneral while in Brisbane. It is expected the aviatrix will reach Brisbane on Thursday and Sydney en Monday afternoon. Before leaving Darwin yesterday morning Miss Johnson's" sole worry was how her mother would be fretting. She said Mrs. Johnson thought'the risk of the' flight to Australia was fearful. The girl flyer intends to' stay throe months hi Australia and possibly will visit New Zealand. TELLING THE WORLD. 47,000 Words of Press Messages Sent Out at Darwin. ■ 800 WIRES RECEIVED.

(Received 11 a.m.) •;• DARWIN, this day. The telegraph office has been inundated with work during Miss Amy Johnson's visit. Press telegrams about the " flight amounted to 47,000 words and 800 congratulatory telegrams for the aviatrix were received. I STRIKING TRIBUTE. PRINCE'S CONGRATULATIONS. •■.-'*■ (Keceived 11 a.m.) ; ; ; LONDON, May 26. .The Prince of Wales, opening the congress of the Empire Chambers of Commerce, -paid a striking tribute to Miss Johnson. He said: "During the past few days I have watched with the greatest possible interest the pluckiest single-handed attempt to shorten the distance between England and Australia. I know you will join me in heartiest congratulations on this remarkable achievement." PRAYERS AT HULL* THANKSGIVING SERVICES, , .:..'■■ LONDON, May 26. Thanksgiving prayers for the safe arrival at Darwin of Miss Amy Johnson were" offered in the churches at Hull yesterday, particularly in the Wesleyan Church in Princes Avenue, where Miss Johnson is organist.

BOOM TO FLYING. ENCOURAGEMENT FOR WOMEN. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) "•'"• WELLINGTON, Monday. A great\flight which has a message for women, is the way in which the Director of Air Services in New Zealand, Wing-Commander S. Grant Dalton, views Miss Johnson's effort. "It will not be long before the Eng-land-Australia flight will be common," he says. "It is a severe test on a small machine like Miss Johnson's as well as on the pilot- and it.is a trial .for such a machine and engine to carry through such a journey. Women ought to' take up flying to a greater extent. They are just as good flyers as men." Asked whether Miss Johnson would secure the position of air mail pilot which she desires, Wing-Commander Grant Dalton said he thought she would. There was no prejudice against women pilots. If he had to select a pilot from the club-trained pilots of New Zealand to take him about he would choose Miss Pauline Bennett,, of Marlborough. She. was about as good as any of them, he declared. He reiterated, his belief that more women should fly and some of them take B (commercial) licenses, but hefsays. he does not want them to fly in "shorts. UNPARALLELED* ENTHUSIASM AT DARWIN. A message from Darwin received by the : Shell Company in Auckland, describes the arrival of Miss Johnson at Darwin on Saturday afternoon. It says that the pent-up emotion of the assemblage waiting anxiously as the girl flyer in her little Moth was crossing. the Timor Sea knew no bounds and the enthusiasm displayed as_ the Moth soared "■■ overhead before alighting was unparalleled in Darwin's history. The courageous little lady, looking tired and sunburned, but extremely well, stepped out of the cockpit of her machine, which she had christened Jason's Quest and which has been her comrade through the trying experiences she has undergone during the past week or more. She wore a pair of shorts. She smiled radiantly and beamed appreciation ' of the generous welcome and pongratulations. On the flight from Atamboea there Was practically no shipping that could have been of assistance to Miss Johnson with "the exception of the Shell tanker Phorus, the captain of which had been instructed to steam along her projected line of flight. This tanker was sighted in the course of her journey. During her stay in Darwin Miss Johnson was the guest of Colonel Weddell, Government Resident. Details of Miss Johnson's itinerary from Darwin cannot be fixed . until, she, has, had an opportunity of considering' the many invitajfcions received to attend'various functions throughout Australia,