Solo World Flight Begins

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31986, 13 May 1969, Page 1

Solo World Flight Begins

(N.Z. Press Association) HAMILTON, May 12. Mr C. V. Tait, of Hamilton, today successfully completed the first leg of his 33,000-mile solo round - the - world flight

His tiny Hamilton-built Air Tourer 115 aircraft landed at Norfolk Island at 4.14 pun. today, just under seven hours after leaving Hamilton Airport this morning.

In a radio telephone call to his wife tonight Mr Tait described his flight as perfect “His navigation was spot on for the 648-mile flight,” Mrs

Tait said. “He has really fallen in love with his plane.

but he will still have to sell it when he returns.” Tomorrow, Mr Tait will refuel and head for the British Solomon Islands.

The aircraft, which is only 21ft sin long, is believed to be the smallest plane ever to attempt a solo global flight. Mr Tait, who has been flying for four years, plans to island-hop across the Pacific to Japan. From there he will go to Alaska, then across Canada to Greenland and the United Kingdom. He will then head for home through the Continent, South-East Asia and Australia. At Hamilton Airport this

morning Mr Tait said goodbye to his wife and four children, Raewyn, aged 16, Clifford, aged 14, Peter, aged 13, and Sharon, aged 11. Also at the airport were relatives and about 100 well-wishers, including the Mayor of Hamilton (Mr M. J. Minogue). . Mr Tait’s flight began at 9.25 a.m. He used half the length of the 4300 ft sealed runway before lifting off the ground.

Mr Tait told his wife tonight that the flight had been perfect almost all the way. Tail winds which had boosted his time early in the journey, turned against him shortly before reaching Norfolk Island.

“Cliff said he felt capable of flying for several more hours, but with the strain and lack of sleep last night due to excitement he decided to call it a day,” Mrs Tait said. Mr Tait has been negotiating for permission to land on the eastern sector of the So-

viet Union lo refuel before moving on to Alaska. He hopes that permission will have been granted by the time he reaches Japan. His other choices are limited. He will either have to find an alternate route or return home.

His flight is being sponsored by Noble Lowndes Holdings, Ltd, a Londonbased insurance brokerage firm which was founded by New Zealanders. The photograph shows Mr Tait in the cockpit of his aircraft