AT HIGH SPEED

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 138, 8 December 1931, Page 8

AT HIGH SPEED

FLIGHT TO NEW. ZEALAND

R.A.F. OFFICER'S PLANS

The long flight from England to New Zealand, which has never yet been made as a single and complete effort, is to be attempted by a New Zealander, Flying-Officer Alan Binley, R.A.F., who is at present on furlough in New Zealand., Flying-Officer Binley, who spent his early years in Blenheim and Wanganui, is stationed with No. 14 Bombing Squadron, R.A.F., in the TransJordan, an. area on the eastern side of the Jordan Valley. He arrived by the Marama to-day on a five weeks' visit to the Dominion. ■■-.■>

"I anticipate while here making negotiations about raising the finance for a projected flight from. England to New Zealand in eight days, making Darwin four days from London," he said, interviewed by a "Post" reporter. "I intend to use an aeroplane cruising at 180 miles per hour, with a range of approximately 3000 miles." The greatest difficulty he would experience on the journey, he said, would be the landing ground question.. He expressed the opinion that aa soon as good landing grounds were obtained, in three or four years there would be a weekly- service from England to Australia. The machine he intends using is a cabin monoplane, similar to that used by Lindbergh. With a co-pilot, he intends flying day and night.

He said he had been advised to make the attempt -in either March or November, as the best weather was experienced then. He was hopeful of making Bagdad in one hop, the next being to Karachi. From then on his hops would depend on the size of the landing grounds and the state of the weather. From Karachi he would probably go to Allahabad, and then to either Rangoon or Singapore. At Rangoon the landing ground was being enlarged. The, Singapore ground was usually sodden. Singapore to Surabaya would be another hop, and then to Darwin and Sydney.

After a day in Sydney, ho hoped to make the Tasman crossing, which he expects to1 take seven and a half hours. His machine, he stated, would be twice as fast as either the Southern Cross or the Southern Cross Junior. He had intended to make the attempt during his present leave, but was unable to do so owing to finance. Should he be able to arrange satisfactory Bnance, he Would make the flight in November Of next year. "If I can make Darwin in four days, mail 'planes should do it in eight," he said.