AVIATION

Grey River Argus, 6 October 1934, Page 5

AVIATION

SMITH’S NEXT FLIGHT Across Pacific TO AMERICA. (Aus. & NZ. Cable Assn.) (Received October 5 at 8.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 5. Sooi er than expected, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith disclosed to-day thait ho intends flying the Pacific Ocean to the United States. Tie wil take off from Brisbane, on the first hop to Suva, about October 20. Captain P. G. Taylor will be his co-piloi and naviga/or. -■ Smith hopes to reach America, a distance of 7.312 miles, in four to five days’. The longest hop will be from Suva to Honolulu, of 3.14-1 miles.

The motive of his flight is to jus •tify the faith of his Imckers. ami well-wishers, -and also the nocessi’x to return the mach’ne to America f"i ‘.i’ta disposal. An extra tank is being fitted to the monoplane. Lady Southern Cross, making her living range four thousand miles. CENTENARY ENTRIES. FfFTY-FIVE STILL TN. (British Official Wireless.'' RUGBY, October 4. Entries of 55 competitors are still valid for the England to Australia air race, arranged in connection with the Victorian Centenary celebrations, which starts from Alildenhall aerodrome (Suffolk) on October 20. Entries are from the following countries:—United States .17, England 13, Holland 5. France, Australia, New Zealand. 4 each, Italy 2, Denmark, Germany. India, Ireland, New Guinea. Sweden, one each. It is not. certain that all these entrants will report at the starting point. INDIAN ARRANGEMENTS. FOR CENTENARY COMPETITORS. (Received October 5 at 11 p.m.) CALCUTTA, October 5. A number of officers of the R.A.F headquarters have offered their services to control the staff’at Allahabad for the Melbourne air race. The Maharajah of Jodhpur has undertaken to entertain competitors landing at his aerodrome, and he has had a control tower specially built, installing night landing equipment. At Karachi, Calcutta, and Rangoon, the reception of competitors, and refuelling of the aircraft, has been undertaken by local committees, consisting of members of the Government, Army, and R.A.F. GLIDING RECORD. MOSCOW, October 4. Pilot Sukhomlinov and a passenger claimed the world gliding duration flight record of fourteen hours twelve minutes in the Crimea.