LONE-HAND FLYER

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19854, 15 February 1930, Page 15

LONE-HAND FLYER

ENGLAND TO AUSTRALIA.

ANOTHER NEW ZEALANDER'S ATTEMPT. ' ,rK( ™ PRESS ASSOCIATION —BY ELSCTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPTRIQHT.) LONDON, February 13. Charles Purnell Parkerson, of 11 Dean street, Auckland, flew to-day fiom Lympno to Brooklands, where lie L S n i ?.. extra P etr °l tanks in his , . Gipsy Moth aeroplane,' in which lie intends to fiy to Australia. Jt will have a flying range of 15 to 20 ,™ rs '., aml a cruising speed of 90 to 100 miles .in hour. He is taking off about February 23rd. He intends to christen the aeroplane, which is painted silver and saxe blue, Silver Heels.

only qualified for a pilots A" license recently. He was learning at Lympne.

MR PARKERSON'S CAREER.

KEEN INTEREST IN FLYING

[THE PRESS Special Service.]

AUCKLAND, February 14

Mr Charles Purnell Parkerson, who intends to follow in the footsteps of Bert Hinkler and Frederick C. Chichester in an endeavour to fly from England to Australia lone-handed, is about 50 years of age, and is well known in Auckland business circles. For many years Mr Parkerson was a keen enthusiast of flying, and although having not actually piloted an aeroplane while in New Zealand, he had many flying hours to his credit as a passenger in Wigrair. Aerodrome n-ndiinee.. He had always shown eo'isulcrable keenness to attempt tho England-Aus-tralia flight in ;i !ight aeroplano lonehanded, but the question of finance had always proved the stumbling block. His opportunity came about five months ago, however, when he was sent Home on behalf of the Auckland Flax Company to carry out some business. On his arrival in England he immediately set out to qualify for his "A" pilot certificate, and. it was on Christmas Day that his brother, Mr R. L. Parkerson. received, a cable from him to the effect that he had successfully got through the' test for his ticket, and ir.tended to make immediate preparations for the big flight. Educated at Ashburt.on and Temuka in the South Island, Mr Parkerson on leaving school entered the photography business and as a free lance lx;came well known throughout both Islands. For some time he carried on business in Rotorua and later came to Auckland, where he resided with his brother. Mr Parkerson eventually gave up the photography businesc and joined the firm of Booth, Macdonald, and Company. For nearly five years he travelled the Auckland ano North Auckland districts as a salesman of farm implements, later to become manager- of Booth, Macdonnld'* Hamilton branch. He is married.

ANOTHER STAGE COMMENCED

LONDON, February 13. Flying-Officers H. L. Piper and C. Kav© have left Malta for Tobruk. Tripoli.

AEROPLANE SERVICE TO AUSTRALIA;

CANBERRA, February 14

Mr J. H Scullin (Prime Minister) states that the scheme for an aeroplane service from London to Australia was placed before the -Government by Imperial Airways. The final section from the Straits Settlements to Australia was to be managed by an Australian board. . The Prime Minister said that Cabinet was not committed to the project, which would involve a heavy subsidy, but was awaiting a report. LONDON, February 13. The Bruce Government instructed Major Cateey . and' Squadron-Leader Wrigley to obtain preliminary negotiations with Imperial Airways and the British Government about the extension of the service to Australia, but as the result of the change of Government and a possible change of policy nothing definite has' been done, and no further instructions have been roceived from the Commonwealth.

AVIATOR'S LICENSE SUSPENDED CANBERRA, 'February 14.' After' enquiry into the crashing of an aeroplane at Brighton le Sands, on December 2nd, 1928, resulting in a passenger being fatally injured, the Air Accidents Investigation Committee found that the cause was inadvertent fouling of the rudder control by the passenger. ' , . The pilot was declared negligent because he failed to sec that the rudderbar in the second cockpit was disconnected, and his license was suspended for a year; ■ ■ - - - '