FLIGHT TO CAPE

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 November 1931, Page 7

FLIGHT TO CAPE

RECORD WELL-BEATEN PEGGY SALAMAN’S TRIUMPH [ay CABLE —PBESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] (Received November 6, 8 a.m.) CAPETOWN, November 5. Peggy Salaman, a nineteen years English girl, landed early this morning, in a De Haviland Puss Moth, one day one hour and twenty-three minutes ahead of the late Glen Kidston’s record. She left Lympne at 11 p.m. on Friday. She shared the actual piloting of 64 hours, with the navigator, Douglas Store, a young Kimberleyite. Replying to the Mayor’s congratulations, Peggy said: “It’s been so thrilling. I don’t know whether I am on my head or heels. I’ve not had much experience but want to show what English girls can do.” After they left Juba, they were forced to descend in a jungle, owing to darkness. They got clear in the morning. At Juba, Peggy adopted two lion cubs. z | LATER— Peggy Salaman states that she had only txVenty. hours’ sleep all'the time and endured a terrible strain. On the third day, they flew 1275 miles over the Sudan swamp countries. She got a terrible shock whan she woke up and found Store circling looking for a path. They only had seventeen gallons of petrol, and down below was wild country. The petrol dropped to six gallons, but suddenly they found a path outside Juba, and arrived with only a few drops of petrol left. They were advised not to spend the night at Juba as leopards visited the aerodrome. Miss Salaman got two lion cubs, which she is offering to Princess Elizabeth.

She slept with the cubs on her lap, and her head on the tank. She intends to return by steamer to Marseilles, then fly solo to London. Store is emphatic that Peggy did her full share of flying. PLANE A BIRTHDAY GIFT " RUGBY, November 5 Peggy Salaman said that the flight had not been a strain, and when she had a bath she would be willing to do it again. In an interview, Store said: “This certainly is Miss Salaman’s trip. She has definitely taken the weight of the flying, my job being chiefly navigating. I want to give Miss Salaman full credit for all she has done.”

The actual flying time was 64 hours. The pilots took charge of the machine in turns.

The aeroplane, called the “Good Hope,” is an ordinary standard British Puss Moth machine. It cost £lOOO, and was given to Miss Salaman by her mother, as a birthday present.

MOLLISON TO TRY J. Mollison, who holds the record for a flight from Australia to England, intends to leave Lympne on a flight to the Cape, in an attempt to beat Miss Salaman’s record. BUTLER’S PROGRESS. CALCUTTA, November 5. Butler arrived at 9.15, and left for Akyab. AKYAB, November 5. Butlei 1 arrived. He left Jhansi at 1.30 this morning, arrived at Calcutta at 9.15, left for Akyab at 12.20. After being held up in torrential rain, he is still a few hours ahead of the record, and expects to arrive at Singapore on Friday night, and Australia on Sunday.' A DANGEROUS VENTURE. MELBOURNE, November 5. What the Civil Aviation Department describe as an exceedingly hazardous flight in a small airplane, will probably bo undertaken to-morrow from the west coast of New Caledonia to Gladstone (Queensland), nine hun. dred miles, which, is being attempted by Victor Roffey, in a small De H|vilhnd Moth, fitted with auxiliary tanks. The flight is expected to occupy twelve hours.