AVIATION

Evening Star, Issue 19772, 24 January 1928, Page 4

AVIATION

THE TRANSTASMAN FLIGHT “ HARE-BRAINED PROPOSALS.” Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, January 23, Mr H. E. Pratten (Minister for Trade and Customs) states that although permission to make the proposed flight to New Zealand does not rest with Ids department, he thinks that there is a good deal of ‘‘ stunting ” connected with such hare-brained flight proposals, and it is unlikely, in view of the many tragedies that have occurred in the past twelve months, that the Government will be a party to giving encouragement to further adventures of that kind. GOVERNMENT HELP REFUSED. A DEFINITE STATEMENT. MELBOURNE, January 24. (Received January 24, at 10.25 a.m.) In pursuance of their intention to plaoe before the Federal authorities their plans for a flight from Australia to New Zealand Captain Moody and Mr Jolley interviewed Mr Brinsmead, who later made a statement that the attitude of the Ministry towards the proposed flight had already been clearly expressed. "I have indicated to Captain Moody and Mr Jolley that no departmental facilities will be placed at the disposal of any person who proposes to organise a long oversea flight in an aeroplane designed specifically for laud flying. Knowing that the. particular machine which Captain Moody and Mr Jolley propose to use is intended for this purpose the authorities will not recognise it in any manner whatsoever, and the use of Government aerodromes for the proposed flight will be refused.” IMPERIAL AIRWAYS THE MIDDLE EAST ROUTE. (British Official News.) Press Association—By Wireless —Copyright. RUGBY, January 22. During the first year of the operation of the Middle East route of tho Imperial Airways, 191 schedule services between Cairo and Basra were run with 100 per cent, regularity, and the average lateness of arrival was never more than 30min. A total of 134,000 miles was flown in 1,400 hours, and tho average speed of tho journeys was 100 miles hourly. The total mail carried exceeded 103.0001 b weight, and the number of letters is estimated at nearly 1,900,000. Tho number of passengers carried in the first eleven months was 1,133. The mail carried by air on the Middle East route normally reaches Basra in thirty days. THE MISSING AIRMEN REPORT FROM TASMANIA. A CRASH HEARD. HOBART, January 23. There is a possibility that Lieutenant Moncrieff and Captain Hood so far deviated from their course as to crash on Flinders Island, a sparsely-populated island off the north-west corner of Tasmania, extending forty-five miles in a north-south direction. A report states that information was received that the hum of an aeroplane engine was hoard on January 10, and later a distinct crash was heard in tho direction of the midlands. A search party has been scouring the country without success. Major Coleman, secretary of the Air Board, states that it is inconceivable that the aviators could have got so far out of their course. No air force machines were in the vicinity of Flinders Island on the date mentioned. RISK WITH SINGLE ENGINE MAJOR DE HAVILAND’S VIEW. [Special to the ‘ Stab.'] HAMILTON, January 24. Mr Philip Bailey, of Hamilton, who expressed willingness to undertake the trans-Tasman flight in a. D.H.9 machine, if one were available, and who cabled to Major Do Haviland, of Melbourne, to that effect j has received a cabled reply to-day, in which the latter states that he cannot recommend the type of biplane for the project, but is writing Mr Bailev concerning the matter. The cable reads Letter just received. Regret cannot recommend D.H.9 owing to excessive risk of Tasman flight with any single-engined machine. Thanks for inquiry. Am writing.