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Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 115, 16 May 1936, Page 9

AIR RECORD TO CAPE & BACK

WELCOME AT CROYDON

(British Official Wireless.) (Received May 16, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, May 15. Mrs. Amy Mollison landed at Croydon at 12.35 p.m. at the end of her air journey to Cape Town and '. back, in which she has broken the ; records for the flight in both directions. , She was enthusiastically cheered by large crowds which broke through the police cordons and surrounded the Percival Mew Gull aeroplane when she landed and was greeted by her husband and relatives. The Deputy Director of Civil Aviation handed to: Mrs. Mollison a letter of congratulation from the Air Secretary, Lord Swinton, who wrote: "Your double flight is a splendid achievement." Mrs. Mollison's time from the Cape to England by the eastern route was 4 days 16 hours 13 minutes, and she thus broke the record set up by FlightLieutenant Rose in March by 38 hours 39 minutes. Bad weather which forced her to land last evening at Graz, in Austria, and to spend the night there prevented her from reducing the time by about half a day more, as she had hoped to do. Her time on her outward flight by the west coast route was 3 days 6 hours 25 minutes, and on this flight she lowered Rose's record by 11 hours 11 minutes. Her Percival Gull cabin monoplane, powered by a Gipsy 6 200 horse-power engine, was fitted with extra tankage, giving a nonstop range of more than 2000 miles. Gull aeroplanes have proved very popular, and considerable numbers have been exported overseas, including Australia, India, France, Sweden, Egypt, Japan, and China. Mrs. Mollison ' flew from Graz to Vienna this morning, and after refuelling she left the aerodrome at .8.10 a.m. on the final stage of her journey, proceeding via Linz and Frankfort. .••■■■■" The weather conditions were ideal. Miss Jean Batten, the New Zealand aviatrix, telegraphed to Mrs. Mollison: "Heartiest congratulations for your wonderful effort. I knew you would do it." . .