AVIATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 November 1934, Page 7

AVIATION

KINGSFORD SMITH, [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN.—COPYRIGHT.] LOS ANGELES, November 8. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, speaking of his intention to fly back to Australia via the East of U.S.A., said: “I shall fly 17,000 miles to Australia this time. This will be one of the longest flight in the history of aviation. I would much prefer to make my way home by boat in a leisurely manner, but I think that plans have just about materialised for me to fly from Los Angeles to New York, and thence to London, and from there to Australia. The attachment on the plane, Lady Southern Cross, was lifted to-night,

following on a conference between Sir 0. Kingsford Smith’s attorney and counsel for Mr Catton. Smith admitted that Catton had an agreement to act as the promoter for himself and Ulm for their 1928 flight, but he declared that Catton had failed completely in his efforts to finance the flight, and that he thus has no claim against him (Smith). Catton charged that he spent 750 dollars on behalf >of Smith, and he asks an additional 1000 dollars for his services. The issue is expected to come to a speedy trial.

Sir C. Kingsford Smith to-day boarded the exploration cruiser, “Velero the Third,” which is owned by Captain G. Allan Hancock, a wealthy explorer, who financed Smith’s 1928 flight. Smith plans to rest aboard the cruiser for several days.

U.S.A. RECORD NEW JERSEY, November 8. Captain Eddie Rickenbackers, flying a big twin-motored transport plane, landed at the Newark Airport, from Los Angeles, at 8.45 p.m. (Eastern Standard time), on Thursday, thereby setting a new trans-continental record of twelve hours four minutes for transport planes. The old record, held by himself, was 13 hours two minutes. DUTCH MAILS AMSTERDAM, November 9. A triple-enginer Fokker, with 'a crew of four carries the Christmas mail to Dutch Guiana via Casablanca, Cape Verde, the first Dutch, commercial Atlantic crossing. Aircraft in mid-Atlantic will be in wireless contact wJth a Dutch submarine leaving next week on a scientific cruise of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. . TRADE IN CHINA , LONDON, November 9. ‘ A five million sterling British aircraft group is being formed to sfecure a large share of the world’s aeroplane markets for Britain, says the “Daily Mail.” The first territory to be attacked will be China, where British aeroplane manufacturers are. faced with severe competition from the United States and Italy.