TEST FLIGHTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 113, 14 May 1937, Page 8

TEST FLIGHTS.

N.Z. AIRLINE.

NOTED U.S. PILOT'S VISIT.

FLEW ROUND WORLD,

To carry out the test flights of the three Lockheed Electra all-metal tenpassenger monoplanes to be used by Cnion Airways, Limited, on the Auck-land-Wellington service, a noted American flyer, Mr. Move W. Stephens, jun.. arrived in Auckland on Mariposa to-day. Two of the 'planes are being brought by the Limerick, due here on May 27, and the third will arrive shortly afterwards. Mr. Stephens will supervise their assembly. Mr. Stephens, who is 31 yeare of age, is accompanied by his wife. He has 1J334 flying hours to his credit. His first service as airline pilot was with the Maddux Airlines, the first passenger airline on the Pacific Coast. Joining Transcontinental Air Transport, he was one of the four pilots who pioneered this airline's run over the formidable Roekv Mountains. He remained with the com*pany when it merged with the Maddux line, and' later when the line merged again to become the Transcontinental and Western Ahline (TWA). "The Slow Record." In 1930 Mr." Stephens began a round-the-world flight with Richard Halliburton, who was gathering material for 5-* if° * I'V" Flyin - Car P et " The flight ended two years later. "I guess " he laughed thie morning, "we established the slow record around the world." The little plane left Southampton for Paris and then leuurely visited places of interest and colour in Europe, Asia and TnrfS!; i 1?* h l e """"a-'ton with the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation Mr Stephens has d one much flyin,, as a -nipany pilot; demonstrating nfachL* and flying them in acceptance tests. He has even flow,, for the film*. "I as born ,n Hollywood, and learned to fly there, and so I j lMt naturally drifted into film work," he said. "'Hell's Angels' and 'Dawn Patrol/ productions you probably know about, were two in wh.eh I worked. Oh, no-no crashin". r-iey have three or four regular moving picture stunt pilots, paid p%tty highly* for that *ort of work. We did a kind of fill-in job—dog-fighting, and so on. ./J 1 ' 0 W * y V ,ey actuall .v do make .nose spectacular crashes is quite interesting They're, really scientific job*. The stunt pl ] o t goes out beforehand to the field where he intends to crash and looks thoroughly over it, and analyses every feature of the ground. Then he decides just where he'll come down on one wheel and a wing tip so that he'll *win<r round, turn over or pile u* at a certain point." Mr. Stephens said the Lockheed 'plane to be used by Tnion Airways had a to*> speed of 20.-) mile* an hour'and a cruising speed of ISO-IDO m.p.h. They were used to a considerable extent in various parts of th« United States, and also by Pan-Amerinan Airways in Mexico and South America. Sleeping 'Planes. Mr. Stephens said one of the latest developments in commercial aviation in the United States was Ihe use of sleeping 'planes. "You leave New York at five o'clock in the afternoon, nnd a hot dinner is served on board. When you ; want to go to bed the stewardess makes down your berth. It's very comfortable —smoother than a train, in fact, unless there's a storm, and so quiet that passengers complain about others talking land keeping them awake. At 8.4."> in ■ the morning you find yourself in Los Angeles."

Great interest had been cruised by the recent flight to Xew Zealand of the' PanAmerican Clipper, he added, and it seemed definite that a service would be inaugurated. American pilot* had as much interest in aviation progress in this part of the world as in any other overseas countries, largely because of the popularity and the achievements of the late Sir' Charles Kingsford Smith.

Mr. Stephens expects* that his work will be completed within a few week* after the arrival of the machines. He WHS met on tlie ship by Mr. X. A. Adam, aviation manager for Moxrs. Brown ami Durpiui. Ltd., agents for Lockheed produets in Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Adam, who recently arrived from Melbourne. has had 3530 hours' experience in the air.