BY FLYING BOAT.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19503, 27 December 1928, Page 11

BY FLYING BOAT.

SIR P. SASSOON'S JOURNEY. ' LONG INDIAN FLIGHT. (FROM OBK OWK CO-RESPONDENT.) V LONDON, November 15. , Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary of State for Air, told the Aeronautical Correspondent of the "Morning Post" that the comfort of transport by flying boat was the dominant impression he had gained from his 17,000 miles, ail tour to India and back. He found flying in the Blackburn Iris, with its. three Rolls-Royce engines, pleasanter than any other form of transport. There was scarcely any vibration, and they made a good speed for the entire journey. . On the return journey the machine flew near Mount Etna, and Sir Philip said that he could see villages burning at the foot. In this part there were severe storms, which, he thought, were probably due to the eruption. He was, surprised to see parts of the mountain covered with snow. He had in all three forced landings on the Persian Gulf.. Desert "Bumps." .When flying over the desert the weather was extremely "bumpy," although they flew most of the time at from 4000 to 5000 feet. He was then flying in one of the R.A.F. jand machines. A particularly beautiful sight from the air was . Jhodpur, with its lakes and palaces. It was a typical Indian city and be hoped that it. would become a stopping place on the regular London-Delhi air route. It had an excellent aerodrome.

Sir Philip said that he had been particularly impressed by the fitness of all the R.A.F. units'he had visited. It clearly showed that the medical and hygienic arrangements in the hot countries were working well. During the journey of six weeks Sir Philip saw 25 British air stations in Egypt, Sudan, Mesopotamia, ' India, and Malta, and spent eight days in InA similar tour of inspection by rail and boat would have taken months. The total flying time on the trio was about 130 hours. The Blackburn Iris is one of the biggest flying boats in the R.A.F. She carries" 900 gallons of fuel and weighs 14 tons when taking off. The flight had demonstrated the airworthiness and seaworthiness of this type of machine very clearly. One of the main obiects of tbe flight was to test, under different temperatures and climatic conditions, one cf the latest types of the Blackburn Iris.