AVIATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 March 1933, Page 7

AVIATION

LONDON-CAPE RECORD

[by CABLE—-PBESS ASSN.—COPYBIGHT.]

LONDON, March 8.

Victor Smith has started on another attempt to beat Amy Mollison’s Cape record. *

LATER. Smith arrived at Perpignan, and has departed for Oran.

GAYFORD PLANE

RUGBY, March 8.

A new engine has been fitted to the monoplane in which Gayford and Nicholetts broke the long distance record. The machine flew over Cape Town, and the airmen on Monday begin a tour of the country on their homeward journey.

DEFENCE OF INDIA.

(Recd. March 10, 10 a.m.) CALCUTTA, March 9.

The dangers of inadequate air defence of India were stressed by Mr Arthur Moore in the Legislative Assembly at Delhi. He said that India’s air strength had remained stationary for nearly ten years, but air arms of other modern Powers were developing enormously, particularly Russia, whose aeroplanes were capable of flying over towns and cities in the Punjab, and returning to their base on the same day.

Mr G. R. Tottenham, Army Secretary, announced that the whole question of India’s air strength would be referred to the Committee of Imperial Defence.

APPEAL TO PREMIER

(Rec. March 10, 1 p.m.) LONDON, March 9.

The aeronautical community of Britain presented Mr. MacDonald with a remarkable round robin on the eve of his departure for Geneva.

The signatories are anxious about the efforts being made to place strictures upon civil aviation under the guise of securing disarmament. They emphasise the necessity for developing quick Imperial communication, and the fact that Britain is leading in the export of aircraft material. They ask that in no circumstances shall confused thinking on the subject of military and naval aviation, react disadvantageously to the legitimate expansion of British civil aviation. The signatories collected were. by means of two aeroplanes, which visited all the flying clubs and air transport concerns, and thus were able to deliver the petition at Downing Street, within thirty-six hours.