ELLSWORTH SEARCH

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 137, 6 December 1935, Page 8

ELLSWORTH SEARCH

AUSTEALIAN PROPOSAL

MR. W. O'HARA'S OFFER

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, December 4.

The offer of his aeroplane and his own services free to the proposed Australian expedition to the Antarctic to search for Lincoln Ellsworth and Hat-lick-Kenyon has been mafle to the Federal Government by Mr. W. M. O'Hara, the New Zealand airman who flew the Tasman in October.

A newspaper cablegram from Canberra on Monday stated that the Federal Cabinet had under consideration the dispatch of an expedition to the Antarctic to search, for the lost airman. It was stated that cablegrams have been sent to the British Government asking for permission to utilise the services of the British researcn ship Discovery 11, which is due at Fremantle shortly.

A cablegram was dispatched by Mr. O'Hara to the Federal Minister of Defence, the Hon. R. A. Parkhill, tonight, making the offer and stating that his services would be free.

Mr. O'Hara said he thought it would be a good thing for a New Zealander to be included in the expedition. Should the Discovery II make the voyage to the south it would probably leave from Dunedin and he would be prepared to fly his machine there, or for that matter,'to any other port in New Zealand to join the ship. His aeroplane, he thought, would be suitable, as it had a flying range probably as great as any machine in Australia.

i The aeroplane used by Mr O'Hara ip. his successful trans-Tasman venture is a British Klemm Eagle powered by a single de Havilland 130 horse power "Gipsy Major" engine. It has a flying range of about 1500 miles, and could be readily fitted with skis. The top speed of the machine is more than 145 miles an hour, but it lands at between 40 and 50 miles an hour. The cruising speed is about 125 miles an hour with a full load.

When landing at Mangere the undercarriage of the aeroplane was damaged, , but repairs were effected by the ground staff of the Auckland Aero Club, and satisfactory tests were carried out today by Flight-Lieutenant Allan. Mr. O'Hara expressed complete satisfaction with the repairs, particularly as the retractable undercarriage was something new for the staff.

Although he has had no experience of flying in the colder regions, JVhv O'Hara has done a considerable amount of mountain climbing, and is an accomplished skier. He is a member of alpine clubs in the Dutch* East Indies and a member of the Himalayan Club, India. In the Himalayas he has done some climbing, but not in snow. Mr. O' Hara now claims the record lor a trans-Tasman crossing having received confirmation of the time of his arrival over Awakino from ths chief postmaster at New Plymouth. His time from Gerringong to the New Zealand coast was 11 hours 30 minutes. The previous record was held by the late Mr. C. T. P. Ulm, who crossed from New Zealand to Australia in 1934 in 11 hours 58 minutes.