SPEED RECORD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 68, 21 March 1934, Page 17

SPEED RECORD.

WAR HERO'S DASH.

ACROSS U.S.A. IN 13 HOURS.

PRIVATE AIRMAIL FEAT.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) SAN FRANCISCO, February 23,

At a time when the annulment of the airmail carrying of private companies by the United States Government was engaging public attention, the whole nation was thrilled by a superlative performance by that redoubtable war hero, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, American war ace, and two pilots, who gave the private transcontinental airmail service a record-breaking farewell performance, despite the fact that atrocious climatic conditions prevailed at the time of the spectacular flight. In fact, the continent was spanned through what airmen vowed to be the "dirtiest" flying weather of the year. Thirteen hours and five minutes out of Los Angeles, the aeroplane, with Rickenbacker directing and another crack pilot at the controls, landed its airmail cargo and seven passengers at Newark airport, New Jersey, at 10.01 p.m. The average speed, attained, was 210 miles an hour. The average time for the transcontinental airmail, has been 24 hours, but some daring pilots have made it in 19A hours. Rickenbacker and the Transcontinental and Western Air Express pilots who alternated at the controls took the luxury liner through rain, 6 leet, snow and hail to make the record run.

The cross-continent dash began in Los Angeles at 11.56 p.m., Eastern standard time. It was made partly at "substratosphere" altitudes, with three stops for refuelling, at Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kansas City, and Rickenbacker a home town, Columbus, Ohio.

East of Columbus the aeroplane climbed to 18,500 feet to surmount a snowstorm over the Allegheny Mountain peaks, that have made Western Pennsylvania an airmail pilot's graveyard. Oxygen was fed the passengers during this part of the flight. Near Decatur, Illinois, the plane had shot up to 10,000 feet to bore across another storm.

Jumping out of the cabin at Newark airport, Rickenbacker said: "This shows what commercial aviation can do. This ship would cut the regular flying time from coast to coast to 13 hours. YVe can maintain this speed without trouble, our contracts are restored, we will place this ship on tho trans-Continental run and slash the present schedule in half.