RECORD FLIGHT.
CHRISTCHURCH-AUCKLAND. FLYIXG TIME, 4 J- HOURS. A now record was created for commercial aircraft yesterday when Captain J. C. Mercer, instructor and chief pilot to the Canterbury* Aero Club, with a passenger, flew from Christchureh to Auckland, with only one stop, in four hours 4.3 minutes. The record flight from Christchurch to Auckland was a non-stop journey of three hours .30 minutes set up by Captain Maurice Buckley, flying an Air Force Fairey 'plane powered with a 850 Napier Lion engine. On that occasion Captain Buckley Hew solo. The machine used by Captain Mercer yesterday was the club"s new De Havillaiid Fox, fitted with a 133 h.p. Gipsy Major'engine. Captain Mercer, who brought a copy of yesterday morning's "Christehurch Times" with him, delivered it to a friend on the staff of the. "Auckland Star" before six o'clock last evening. His passenger was Miss Lamb, of Christchurch, who found it necessary to make tlie flight <>n account of an urgent personal call to this city. At eleven o'clock yesterday morying klic telephoned Captain Mercer at'the Wigram Aerodrome and inquired whether he would take her to Auckland. Arrangements were quickly completed and she- arrived nt the aerodrome by taxi from the city at mid-day. Fifteen minutes later ehe climbed into the comfortable cabin of the Fox, which has accommodation for three passengers, in addition to the pilot, and took off for Auckland. Captain Mercer said it was Miss Lamb's first flight and she greatly enjoyed the experience. "We maintained an average altitude of 7000 feet the whole way and enjoyed <rood flying conand perfect visibility," he added, "Our one and only stop wae at Palmerston North, where we refuelled. The trip from Christchurch to the principal town of Manawatu occupied two hours 40 minutes. After a brief stop of 20 minutes we set off for Auckland and arrived hero at Mangero at 0.20 p.m.. after a flight of two hours five minutes." Tliie morning at six o'clock Captain Mercer left Mangere on his return to Christchurch.
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 221, 18 September 1934, Page 8
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336RECORD FLIGHT. Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 221, 18 September 1934, Page 8
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