PLUCKY AIRWOMAN

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 104, 27 January 1931, Page 9

PLUCKY AIRWOMAN

Long Journey Nears End

ENCIRCLING WORLD Mrs. Bruce in New York 17,000 MILES COVERED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Rec. January 26, 10 p.m.) New York, January 25. The Hon. Mrs. Victor Bruce fulfilled one purpose in her round-the-world air and sea journey to-day when she dropped a flag here on Manx, (lie birthplace of her mother, before pointing her tiny biplane homeward. She has travelled 17,000 miles over three continents. She will return to London by steamer.

Flying 11,000 miles from London to Tokio, in a standard light aeroplane, soon after qualifying for her pilot’s certificate, the Hon. Mrs. Victor Bruce quickly came ta the forefront of aviation. She left London on September 25, 1930, hoping to complete the journey in 15 days. Her route included Stamboul, Bagdad, Karachi, Calcutta, Rangoon, Hanoy, Hong-Kong, Amoy, Shanghai, and then across to Japan. Leaving London she flew to Munich and Vienna on the first day, arriving

at Vienna, with a leaking tank and an inch of petrol. Three days later, when repairs had been effected, she reached Constantinople. An anxious time followed, for no word came until October 8, when a native with a message, "Crashed; please help,” came into Jask. She had crashed in the hills 20 miles to the northward and had existed upon a diet of dates and water, having made friends with tlie natives by the use of an alarm clock, and by singing and dancing. After the ’plane had been salvaged and repaired she followed the usual route to Rangoon, then going to Bangkok, being held up by bad weather between there and Hanoy. She arrived at Hong-Kong on November 8, at Shanghai on November 14, and at Tokio on November 24, having set a new record for a solo flight by a woman. She travelled to America bv sea.