NOTABLE FLIGHT.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18924, 12 February 1927, Page 16

NOTABLE FLIGHT.

♦— _ ACROSS AUSTRALIA. 2200 MILES IN 30 HOURS. (ritOlt OUR OWV CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNEY, February 4. Australians have mnny ways of spending week-ends. Messrs C. Kingsford Smith and Keith Anderson, Westorn Australian airmen, demonstrated a new way, by flying from Perth to Sydney, a distance of 2200 miles, in 30 hours flying time.

Iu two five-year-old Bristol Tourer aeroplanes, cast-offs of Westoru Australitm Airwuys, Ltd., Smith and Anderson left Perth on Saturday morning, accompanied by Mr and Mrs J. W. Marshall, of Perth, and a mochanie. They hoped to break the record of 21$ hours, established by Lieutenant F. S. Briggs several years ago. The latter's was a more powerful machine, but Smith and Anderson stated that they would havo broken the record, but for easterly headwinds, which held them back until they reached Parlies, about 390 miles from Sydney. The airmen and their passengers spent Saturday night on the Nullabor Plain, near the South Australian border. On Bundny morning tliey were at Broken Hill, and on Sunday night at Parkcs. Two hours' flight on Monday morning sufficed to bring them to Sydney. The airmen claim that, although they failed to brenk the record, they havo provod the feasibility of a two-dny service from Perth to Sydney. They say that with tho establishment of a night station on the Nullabor Plain the journey can bo made comfortably in twodays, thus saving three days on the quickest trip that can be made now between the two capitals. The total expense for tho two 'planes was £IOO, fuel consumption being eight miles to the gallon. Both airmen have had much war and civilian flying to their credit, but about threo years ago both gave up the "aiT game." When the east-west flight was mooted and the two Bristol machines were purchased, both had to go into training again. Smith went up in his 'piano for twenty minutes and Anderson in his for but sfevon minutes longer. Then, without neeident or fault of any kind, they carried out the long flight.