NEW AIR RECORD

Grey River Argus, 9 May 1936, Page 7

NEW AIR RECORD

BY MRS. MOLLISON England to Cape (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) CAPE TOWN, May 6. Amy Mollison landed tit three-thirty-one p.m. (Greenwich time) beating the record by 669 minutes. Amv Mollison said that the conditions ’were ghastly over Sahara, and sometimes she was flying blind. She circled for an hour over a bushfire in Nigeria, killing time awaiting the dawn.

Despite- her achievement, she was disappointed in not having made faster time, but she was hampered by inadequate aerodromes, where mishaps were narrowly averted. She . s convinced that a three- days’ service between London and Cape Tovn is commercially feasible when the autodromes are improved. Amy Mollison intends to attack the record on the return trip ano. She plans to pilot her own plane from London, carrying passengers to the Johannesburg exhibition. LONDON, May 7.

James Mollison said that if Amy had not succeeded he had planned to attack the Cape Town record himselt. He disclosed that he and Amy are planning the first round the world flight, following the Equator. They estimated the journey would not exceed three weeks. Itose (previous holder), interviewed, paid a tribute to Amy, as a gallant young woman. He does not intend to re-attempt tho record. JEAN BATTEN. PARIS, May (>. The French Aero Club entertained Jean Batten to dinner, where she. was presented with the Legion of Honour. MONOPOLISTIC MOVE. IN AUSTRALIA. MELBOURNE. May 7. A large company to merge important air service's in Australia, is forming at Melbourne. The parties interested are Holyman’s Airways, Adelaide Steamship Company, and the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, all of which own and operate air services. The capital is likely to be £500,000. It is believed the new company will ultimately absorb other air companies. Consideration will also be given to taking over the transTasman Development Company, begun bv the late Kingsford Smith SINGAPORE, -May 7. .Major Brackley, Air Superintendent of Imperial Airways, and Mr. Hudson Dysh, manager of Quantas Airways, Queensland, took off this morning in a Hying boat for Australia, with the intention of surveying the route. They are stopping at several pianos in the Dutch East Indies before arriving at Darwin. While they were in Singapore, several conferonees were held, but the utmost secrecy was observed. The survey is regarded locally as an indication that a final agreement has been reached regarding the method of operating the Singapore-Australian link.

“FLYING FLEAS.” LONDON. May 7. “There will be an official inquiry into Flying Floas, ” said the Coroner, at the inquest into the death of Flight. Lieutenant Ambrose Cowell, who was killed when testing a Flying Flea. The Coroner added: Major Cooper. Air Ministry Inspector of Accidents, told me that the Government wa.s giving attention to the matter. There hud been several fatal nose-diving accidents in France and England. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, and supported the. Air League’s recommendation that the Air Ministry should resume control of inspection and supervision. Lord Swinton decided not to ban Flying Fleas, during the investigations. LONDON’S NEW GROUND. RUGBY, May 7. Tho Court of Common Council of the City of London approved the proposal for the establishment of an airport at Fairlot. near Ilford, Essex, at an estimated cost of £600.000. N.Z. SERVICES. WELLINGTON, May 8. Last week was the best for tho air mail returns that the Post and Telegraph Department has had since the service was introduced on the Palmerston North—Dunedin and Wellington—Blenheim—Nelson runs, excepting the first week, when postings were abnormal, because of the extraordinary interest on the first two days by philatelists throughout Now Zealand. The number of letters carried by air each week has bm n: First, week 38,793; second week, 12.470; third week. 14,189; fourth, week.

11,776; fifth week 10,930; sixth week 12.402; seventh wed:, 15.993. Tn addition 3,722 overseas air mail letters have been distributed throughout New Zealand, without extra charge to addressees, on delivery by Up from Australia.

The improvement of 'h-> inland airmail time-table, tho prowsna of a direct cable between Wellington and Australia, and the establishment at Wellington of a c -lbng-place for the proposed Tasman air Service, were the subject of rep reset! tat’or.-s by a deputation from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, to the PostmasterGeneral (Mr. Jones) to-day. The Minister, in reply, expressed the hope +hat the patronage of the recently innugu :i:e l air-mail service’s operating in the Dominion would justify a poi'rny of steady expansion, altho'.ign he admitted that he had been disappointed with the result, so far. ,t was not possible to abolish the pe my surehargi-, at the present time, and to semi ad firstclass mails by air, without extra charge, bie.Hi'se there were- not sUlfieient air - "ft to handle the enormous quantifier of letters. A cab-e. ’ink would involve an unjustified .--xoeim to the company curcorned, of ‘£500,610, but the Department was sc.-klim to improve radio eommuniev.li.;,i between the south and Auckland, in the event of dislocation through earlhcpit.ke or storm disaster. As to tho creation of a tran.Tasinan air service terminal at M c -

lington, the Minister said that the question would receive consideration when the proposal was in a more concrete form. CHRISTOHUIRCTI, May 8.

So that its pilots may have advanced. training in aeroplanes of a type in advance of the ordinary Moth machines in general use. the Canterbury Aero Club has decided to purchase a Miles Falcon Major, of a. type similar to the winning machine in the last .King’s Cup race, and that which bioke. the record from' England to Cape 'Town and back, recently. A. beautifully-designed low-wing monoplane, powered with a 130 h.p. Gipsv motor, the Falcon represents the last’word in light-piano construction, and its acquisition will be of immense benefit to the Canterbury Club's p--lots. The Committee of the Aero Club felt that a machine. further developed than the Moth was necessary for the advanced training of senior pilots, and this one will represent a distinct “'step up.” The Club’s machine will have two forward seats, side bv side, for the instructor and pilotand tho most: modern dual control equipment. A big consideration in the purchase of the machine was the chance that :it will provide to train pilots for commercial services. 'The Club feels that it is not right- with commerc m nviiition on the verge of great development. that commercial pilots should have to bo imported, because of the lack of suitable planes in which D'ominion piltos can receive ti ’jning also, the new acquisition will assist the reserve pilots of the Air Force in their club. SYDNEY-NEW GUINEA SERVICE. AUSTRALIAN-MA DE I’LAN E. ('Received Mav 8, 9.30 pan.) SYDNEY, May 8. W. R. Carpenter and Company announce (ha,* they are inaugurating an air service from Sydney to New Guinea early next month They ate using a Gannet monoplane, which was constructed af Mascot, with a cruising speed of 150 miles an hour. The machine w 11 complete the over-tbe water crossing betiween Galins and Port Moresby in three hours. Sir Walter Carpenter stated the service is ""expected to be weekly in each diremibn. The company has applied for a permit to carry maiis. N.Z. Airmen Charged OVER 1932 SMASH. WELLINGTON, May 8. An aeroplane crash at Johnsonville three and a half .years agq was iecalled, to-dav /when L-. E. I’, Taylor and A. 11. De Tourettes were charged before Mr’Stilwell, S.M.. with danger, oils living. The hearing was adjourned (ill May" 22. Taylor is charged with Hying in such a manner as to cause unnecessai y danger to persons and property on land, and with carrying out flying which, because of the low altitude and its proximity to persons and dwellings, was dangerous to the public safety. . De ’ Tourettes has ,two similar charges preferred against him. I.he machine was be ng flown by De louiett.e.S|. but when the -trouble developed Taylor, a mole experienced pilot., is understood to have taken over the controls.