TASMAN FLIGHT

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 July 1924, Page 7

TASMAN FLIGHT

easy,— BUT COSTLY.

(Special to “Star.”)

CHRISTCHURCH, July 9

Apropos of the Melbourne cablegram re the attempt to fly from Australia to New Zealand the Pratt brothers, who are arranging for the Tasman flight, are New Zealand aviators, and their proposed enterprise has been in the minds of a number of New Zealand pilots for a long time. The principal difficulty is finance, and it is that it would cost at least £lO,OOO to make the flight. First, there is the machine, and then there is the cost of making other arrangements and general organisation. Captain L. M. Isitt, of the Sockburn Aerodrome, said to-day that the flight could be accomplished easily enough, in a good amphibian machine, such as Squadron Leader Stuart MacLaren is using on his woiQd flight. As long as the machine could land on water and was fitted with wireless, the flight was safe enough, because the pilots could live on the water for 48 hours. A number of New Zealand pilots had been negotiating to make the flight, but they had not, been able to interest English constructors. The flight was too far away from the world centre to be of much use as an advertising stunt. The shortest distance across the Tasman is between Hobart and the Bluff, as it presents no navigating difficulties, because the compass variation is. only about two de-

grees. “Given a fair wind, and luck with the engine, the flight will be easy,” said Captain Isitt.

AMERICAN AVIATORS

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

DELHI, July 8. The American aviators have arrived at Bushire.