AIR VENTURES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 72, 26 March 1931, Page 7

AIR VENTURES.

TIMBUCTOO STARTLED

Germany's Amy Johnson Comes To Grief.

FORCED DOWN IN DESERT

(United P.A.— Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

(Received 11.30 a.m.) BERLIN, March 20. Denizens of the bazaars at Timbuetoo were startled by the apparition of a sunburned young woman, travel-stained, in shirt and shorts, staggering alone from the desert in a state of collapse. She was Fraulein Elli Beinhorn, Germany's Amy Johnson, who started in January to fly to West Africa in easy stages. Leaking of the oil tank compelled her to make a forced landing 30 miles from TTmbuctoo, necessitating four days' journey over sandy wastes to safety.

NEW FLYING SCHOOL.

INNOVATION IN BRITAIN,

RUGBY,- March 25

A new international flying school will be opened at Hamble,' near Southampton, next month. A company headed by Air Marshal Sir John Higgins, and registered as Air Service and Training, Ltd., will supply a course of instruction and training similar to the training in the Royal Air Force. Every branch of pilotage and navigation will be covered, including the use of instruments, blind flying and such subjects as rigging, meteorology 'and the theory of flight. Commercial and private pilots and flying instructors will have a choice of courses specially suited to their needs. Four types of land aeroplanes and three of seaplanes are to be included in the school's fleet. Many young pilots from foreign countries are expected to take courses of instruction.

LONDON AIR LINKS.

AUTOGYROS CONTEMPLATED.

LONDON, March 20,

Autogyros capable of landing and taking off in a small space will be nsed to link up railway and air travel if plans now under consideration by the Cierva Autogyro Co. materialise.

The scheme envisages the building of elaborate roof-top landing-stages at the principal railway stations in' London and the provinces—equipped with waitingrooms and refreshment bars —for the use of autogyro air-taxis, capable of conveying up to six passengers direct from stations to various centres of Britain and the Continent. The plan will also eliminate the motor journey from London to the airports.

The autogyros, which will be of the helicopter, type of aeroplane, with horizontal rotating vanes, enabling them to ascend and descend almost vertically, will be raised to the station roofs from the hangars, by means of patent elevators, and will be ready*for taking-off.