BIG AIR RACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 297, 15 December 1936, Page 7

BIG AIR RACE.

Many 'Planes Assemble at

Brisbane. ADELAIDE CENTENARY EVENT. (Received 12.30 p.m.) ADELAIDE, this day. Thirty-five 'planes have assembled at the Archerfield aerodrome to compete in the Adelaide Centenary air race, which is to begin to-morrow morning. The race will consist of two sections, speed and handicap. The majority of the pilots are competing for the latter event. It will, start from Archerfield. The. 'planes must stop at Coff's Harbour, where they will be checked in and out, and Sydney will be the end of the first day's flight. On the second day the machines will clock in at Cootamundra, completing the day's hop at Melbourne. 'The third day includes a halt at Nhill, Victoria, before the finish at Parafield aerodrome, Adelaide.

Prizes for the handicap section will be £500, £100 and £25, with a prize of £25 for the best performance on each day, and for the speed section £250 and £50.

LOST IN THE SKY.

Strange Disappearance of

Weather Pilot.

MISSING FROM SYDNEY.

(Received 1.30 p.m.)

SYDNEY, this day

The Air Force weather pilot who ascends *to 20,000 ft daily_ to make meteorological observations in a singleseater Bristol Bulldog fighter went up as usual at 8.15 yesterday, but at G p.lll. he liad still not been heard ot. rile observations usually take an hour.

All the afternoon iifteen R.A.A.F. machines searched in vain. No reports have been received of the missing machine being seen by ground observers. Owing to rain and mist visibility was very bad all day. The pilot was Pilot-Officer Eric Vernon Read, who was until recently a cadet at the Point Cook Flying School. ,

Pilot-Officer Read was 21 and was stationed at Laverton airport. It is feared that he may have flown out to sea in the terrible weather.

SOLO AIRWOMAN.

LEFT ON BIG FLIGHT. (Received 12 noon.) MARSEILLES, December 14. Mile. Maryse Bastie, the young Frenen aviatrix who intends to challenge Miss Jean Batten's South Atlantic record of November, 1935, has left for Dakar, West Africa. Like Miss v Batten, she is flying solo.