LESSONS OF AIR RACE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 69, 15 December 1919, Page 9

LESSONS OF AIR RACE

♦ PRACTICAL ROUTES ROSS-SMITH INTERVIEWED By Telegraph—Press Aesoclation—CopyrighJ (Rec. December 14, 5.5 p.m.) Darwin, December 13. Contain Ross-Smith has left for Newcastle Waters (Queensland). Ho is expected to reach Cloneurry on Sunday. Interviewed regarding the possibility of a commrcial aerial service between England and Australia, ho suggested the division of. the route into sections, as follows:—London to Cairo, Cairo to Calcutta. Calcutta to Singapore, Singapore to Darwin. Darwin to Melbourne Tho first stage, with the co-operation of Britain, France, and Italy, should easily be arranged. The next stage, Cairo to Calcutta. is already l»ing considered by tho Indian Government, which is'contemplatinu tho establishment of an aerial mail in Hir> ntyir future, and is arranging to e~cct anrodronufl from Calcutta onwards. Owirie to the jungle and swamp betw.een Singapore and Java the Dutch Government lias constructed an aerodrome at Banka Island. There are alro some cood aerodromes in Western Jnva, but tlie one at Pourabnya is unsuitable. Cantain Ross-Smith favours seaplanes in nreference to aeroplanes for a nortion of the route, owing to the necessity for following the coast, where suitable seanlane harbours exist, but no good land-iug-nlace for aeroplanes. He th'nks that the -danger of an aerial attncl; from Asia is verv real. ' There won 1 '" be no need for 'i,lanes to travel lon<r distances. Thev could simplv be released from narent aerodrome shins, to which they would return after their deadly work was accomolished.—Press Assn. ■ACTUAL FLYING TIME i 35 HOURSMelbourne, December 13. Cantain Ross-Smith's actual (lying -time was 135 hours. An examination showed' that the official seals on the essential narts of the machine were unbroken.— Press Assj. FT.TGHT PROM MET,BOURNE TO " MEET ROSS-SMITH AT DARWIN. Darwin, December 13. Captain Wrigley, who flew from Melbourne to meet Captain Ross-Smith, has arrived, this completing. the first flight across Australia.—Press Assu BRITISH PRESS TRIBUTES. ■ London, December 11, All the newspapers devote leading articles' to Captain Ross-Smith's flight, and ciuoto the King's message, in which it was said that the success' will bring Australia nearer to the Mother Country Tho "Dailv Telegraph" is of opinion that the- flight will rank in air navigation' with the efforts of Columbus and Vasco da Gama in ocean navigation. Nevertheless the age of wondei'3 in aviation lies ahead, not behind jis. . Cantain Sir John Alcock states that Captain Ross-Smith's wonderful achievment is. a triumph for British aviation, and is also a hall-mark of reliability and onduranco for the machine and the en-gine.—Aus.-N .Z. Cable Assn. ANXIETY ABOUT POULET POULET FLYING HOME (Rec. December 14, 5.5 p.m.) . Paris, December 12. The newspaper "Auto" that Poulofc is returning to Paris by air in order to prepare for the tour-round-the-world competition organised by the American Aero Club.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. IN DIFFICULTIES WHEN LAST HEARD OF. , (Rec. December 15, 0.5 a.m.) Paris, December 12. Much anxiety is felt regarding Poulet. Tho last news of him was a cablegram to ~M. Caudron dated December 3, from Bangkok, mentioning the bad condition of his petrol tank. It is believed that Poulet, after leaving Bangkok, was obliged to land at a spot remote from telegraph communication.—Aus.-N.Z. Gable Assn, v . MATTHEWS EN ROUTE TO BUCHAREST DETERMINED TO REACH AUSTRALIA. (Rec. Decembor 14, 5-5 p.m.) London, December 12. Matthews was not able to secure petrol at Belgrade, and is pushing on to Bucharest. He docs not intend to return to England, being determined to reach Aus-tralia.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. . a seriouTfatality - IN CROSS-CHANNEL AIR SERVICE. London, December 11. A serious casualty has occurred in the cross-Channel air service A British pilot, flving from Paris, lost his way in 'the mist among the Surrey Hills, and crashed at Caterham. A passenger -.-as killed and the pilot serioui'y injured.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. BRITISH AIR ESTIMATES. - (Rec. December 15, 015 a.m.) London, December 12. The Air Estimates for the year ending March next are 54,500,000, a reduction of twelve millions on the forecast made in March Inst.—Aus -N.Z. Cable Assn.