City Glider Pilot Flies 400 Miles

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29713, 5 January 1962, Page 8

City Glider Pilot Flies 400 Miles

The well-known glider pilot, Mr S. H. Georgeson, of Christchurch, probably established a new world record for an out-and-return flight yesterday by gliding from Omarama. in North Otago, to Hanmer Springs and back again—a distance of 400 miles. Mr Georgeson was towed in his Slingsby Skylark 3F sailplane to a height of 3000 ft by a Tiger Moth. He was released at 11.6 a.m. and landed at the North Canterbury Gliding Club’s Christmas camp at Omarama again at 7.37 p.m.

The gliding conditions were described as a north-west wave a type of condition which makes for high-altitude flying.

The maximum height he reached was 25,000 ft and his minimum height during the flight was 500 ft.

The existing world record for an out-and-return flight is 351 miles, held by Mr D. Burns, of England, who established the record in South Africa about five months ago. Mr Georgeson’s record is subject to confirmation by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris. Mr Georgeson had some difficulty in returning and an observer at the camp last

evening described him as exhausted after his 8 hour 31 minute flight. For most of the flight yesterday he was in radio contact with the camp. This is the second world record Mr Georgeson has probably broken. In December, 1960. he reached a height of ‘Bs,oooft in his sailplane, breaking the world record for gain of height. The previous record for a gain of height was reported to be 31,710 ft. Mr Georgeson soared upwards over Mount Torlesse to gain about 34,000 ft in height.

Yesterday’s flight won for Mr Georgeson a Diamond C—the highest award for gliding —the second to be held by a New Zealander. This was the first time all the tests for the award were performed in New Zealand.