N.Z. regains single-engine flying record

Press, 12 April 1982, Page 4

N.Z. regains single-engine flying record

PA Auckland The' world record for. the fastest time from England to New Zealand in a singleengine aircraft is once again in the hands of a New Zealander. .

Mr Cliff Tait, aged 53, of Hamilton, flew into Auckland Airport on Saturday morning 101 hours after leaving ;England, breaking the. previous record held by’ pilot. Judith Chishold, by 55 hours. ' '

“My idea was to get this record , back to New Zealand and I have,” said a tired but happy Mr Tait. The first record was set by. Jean Batten more than 40 years ago. With 'a -‘lucky hat" on His head. Mr Tait'left England at 2 a.m. on Tuesday,-New Zealand time. He flew to Athens and then to Bahrain for refuelling. He than flew to Calcutta where he stopped for 10 hours to sleep and have a meal.

After that, he flew to Penang. Darwin and Brisbane.

He left Brisbane at midnight on Friday and touched down at 9.10 a.m. on Saturday.

Flying through thunderstorms. temperatures as low as —2sdeg. and as high as 45deg. kept Mr Tait awake on the long flight. “I never got bored, but sometimes I got a bit heady,” he said. “But you soon snap out of it. “Flying over the Bay of Bengal was the most exciting thing. The lightning and thunder made it. look like Guy Fawkes night and I was slightly worried then because of ajl the fuel I had on board.” Mr Tait, who is a sales manager for James Aviation, broke a flying record In 1978 for the fastest time across the Tasman in a singleengine aircraft. This was first set. by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.