North Cape-To-Bluff Record

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30471, 19 June 1964, Page 1

North Cape-To-Bluff Record

(X.2. Press Association) INVERCARGILL.

June 18. An 18-year-old pilot today became the fastest traveller between North Cape and Bluff. Colin Glasgow, of Pukekohe, flew the 1168 miles in 6hr 35 min—nearly an hour quicker than the previous' time.

He is a loader-driver with an aerial topdressing firm and holds a private pilot’s licence He has flown a little more than 110 hours.

Mr Glasgow got the high speed travel urge while watching the film “Around the World in 80 Days.”

He thought the only record worth breaking was the North Cape to Bluff flight, and he touched down at Invercargill at 3.29 p.m. today. Accompanying him on the flight was his father, Ray Glasgow, of Onewhero—“in the back-blocks west of the Waikato river.” Mr Glasgow is not a pilot The aircraft used was a Mooney Super 21, the only one in New Zealand. An American machine, it is capable of 190 miles an hour. It is owned ‘by the Auckland i Flying School and used on a (scheduled air service in Northland.

Colin Glasgow had not calculated his average air speed today, but estimated it about 170 miles an hour. That compares with the 120 or 130 miles an hour of the Cessnas

ion the two previous record bids.

He and his father-passen-ger to his son for the first time—flew from Ardmore to Kaitaia on Wednesday night. They left Kaitaia early today and flew north, circling the lighthouse at North Cape at 8.36 a.m. .

They landed at Woodbourne for fuel at noon,- the stop taking 15 minutes from touch-down to take-off. They arrived at Bluff at 3.11 p.m. and at Invercargill at 3.20 p.m. •

Their stop in Invercargill was brief. They enjoyed a snack and a cup of coffee, “our first all day." They took off for Dunedin to spend the night with Colin Glasgow’s grandparents. Colin Glasgow said the choice of the Mooney was ob-

vious. “It was the fastest plane around.”

The same aircraft will be used by a flying school instructor in another bid at the record.

The original North Cape to Bluff record was set in 1933. Mr E. Harvie flew the distance in 16hr lOmin In a Gypsy Moth. It was then broken in January last year by four men from the Northland Aero Club flying a Piper Tri-pacer. They took 13hr 29min. On April 8, Messrs R. Hutchinson and J. Groucutt, of the Auckland Aero Club, lowered the record to 9hr 37min. They flew a Cessna

A Cessna 180 was used in the last flight, on April 28, 1963. The pilots were Messrs J. Warner and L. Darrington and Miss Helen Putt. Their time was 7hr 26min.