N.Z. AIRWOMAN

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 11088, 11 April 1933, Page 3

N.Z. AIRWOMAN

COMMENCES FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA. Lnodon, April 9 Miss Jean Batten, the young Auckland airwoman, left Lympne, Kent, this morning, on an attempt to fly solo to Australia. Her mother, Mrs F. H. Batten, and a few members of the London Flying School, watched Miss Batten make a perfect take-off. Miss Batten later arrived at Naples after refuelling at Rome. She will leave at dawn for Athens.

Miss Batten intends to fly in stages of 1000 miles a day, and may even beat Mrs Mollison’s record time for a woman flyer. Miss Batten may fly at night when the conditions are favourable. . .

Miss Batten is carrying her kit in a brown paper shopping bag. She is wearing a brown, fur-lined flying suit. , At the last moment she realised that she had no cigarettes and her friends supplied her with 50, Miss Batten remarking: “These will be useful it I am captured by Arabs. Somebody asked if I am taking a gun. How ridiculous!”

Mrs Batten remarked that she was her daughter’s first flying passenger. She said she was very proud of her, but her father had opposed her fly-

mg. _ , The aeroplane, which formerly belonged to the Prince of Wales, is dark blue with silver wings. Captain Leonida Robbiano, the famous Italian airman, who is also attempting a flight to Australia, is flying a machine done in a brilliant redThe Sketch describes Miss Batten as defending British prestige against the Italian ace.