FLYING NEWS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11826, 6 January 1933, Page 5

FLYING NEWS

NEW. ZEALANDER KILLED. f \ —f- . R.A.F. ’PLANE CRASHES. ££? EX-DANNE,AGREE RESIDENT. (U.P.A. hy Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, January l i. A Royal Air Force pilot, a No"’ Zealander, John Armstrong, flying a Bulldog machine, crashed at Blackmore when looping the loop. Eye-witnesses; declare that the 'plane nose-dived, and caught fire. Rescuers who attempted to quench the flames took 90 minute’s to extricate Armstrong. , (Press Association.) DANNEVTRKE; January 5. Mr. John Laurance Armstrong was the elder son of Major James Armstrong, of Dannevirke. He was in his twenty-seventh year. He proceeded to England in December. ]930. to join the Air Force. Deceased was well-known in the Dominion. He received his education at Herein ungn and Christ's College. FINAL TRIAL TO-MORROW. SOUTHERN CROSS FLIGHT. SYDNEY, Jahuarv 25. Sir Charles Kings ford Smith reports- that he has no complaints to make following the preliminary tests of the Southern Cross. He added: ‘■•The. old bus will undergo a thorough and final test on Saturday/’ TASMAN FLIGHT

WEATHER REPORTS BEING OBTAINED "* (U.P A. by Elec. Tel. Copyright-.) (Received dan. 5. 10.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 5. Sir Kingston! Smith has arranged with a number of amateur radio stations to furnish data, regarding the •weather conditions in Australia and Now Zealand prior to the- Tasman flight, which has, tentatively, been fixed for the early morning of the llth. These messages will be sent to Air Hutchinson, of Kimbilli, who, in t-urn, will send them to the Weather Bureau at Sydney, where the" report will ho compiled and telegraphed to •‘Smithy”, at Gerringong. The rearrangement of the exhaust pipes on the Southern Cross has rendered the wireless cabin comparatively. noiseles’s. “Smithy” has been inundated with Good Luck messages which are arriving at the rate of one hundred per day. The only luggage the crew will take will he. pyjamas, toothbrush, and razor. PREPARING GROUNDS WORK BEING UNDERTAKEN Preparations for the visit of sir Sir Charles Kingsford Smith are proceeding in many districts. Afnch work is being done at New Plymouth, Auek land and Hastings. It is understood •{that the cost of the .work at New Plymouth. is going to exceed £IOOO. The expenditure at Hastings will also be heavy, and at Napier 60 unemployed and six motor trucks, will be engaged in preparing for the Southern Cross. WHELAN RESCUED “WAS ALMOST FINISHED” J (U.P.A. bv Elec. Teh Copyright) (Received Jan. ;>, -5.40 p.m.) PERTH, Jan. 5. Advice received from Forrest states that Pilot Baker lias succeeded in rescuing Air Whelan, who is ho.ud.M and haggard and still suffering fu-rn his injured hip. Air Whelan told n tale of acute privation and sauU—‘•T>wa\s almost- finished when the Air Force aviators dropped water last Saturday. If H bad fallen a yard further away, I would have been unable to reach it.’ Pilot Baker’s aeroplane, accompanied by two Air Force machines, hit Forrest at 5 n.m. and arrived over Mr Whelan at 7.30 p.m. Luckily the wind was favorable for a safe _ landing, and a few minute s later, Pilot Boxer’s plane .was in the air again, with Air Whelan aboard. HIGH PRAISE FOR PILOT BAKER ,g.p a. hy Elec. Tel- Copyright.) .i. ‘ PERTH, Jan. -5. in the course of an interview, Whelan expressed his deepest gratitude to Pilot Harry Baker, also to the Air Force men for dropping fond and war6T** Whelan walked eight- miles on Saturday in search of a waterhole and came across a camp of eight natives, all of whom were ouite without foot. He wondered how they lived- 1C temperature was mostly 120 c egrec-. Pilot Baker has received scores ot congratulatory messages on bis heio.c exploit and its happy ending. GALE OFF ENGLAND. AIR SERVICES CONTINU'--f British Official AYiroloss.i RUGBY. January -IThe. southerly gale continued vomu\ the coasts to-day- ' The an -<h between London and Paris were continned despite <* *> T'“ “ increasing to 60 ..dies "" "™ av 500 f- The machines, helped b„ a tail wind, completed thf to Croydon from Pans m veiy .as time.