FLIGHT TO-DAY

Grey River Argus, 16 October 1936, Page 7

FLIGHT TO-DAY

JEAN BATTEN STARTING AT DAWN To Cross Tasman Sea The announcement was yesterday made by Alias Jean Batten that she is to-day flying the Tasman Sea. starting from Richmond Aerodrome, Sydney, at dawn. Sydney radio stations are to broadcast descriptions of the take-off as soon ns they go on Hie air this morning, Station, 2BL making this 'intimation la-f evening. B Sta tions are expected to be on the air at the take-off. The aviatrix inion flying so as to pick up Ait. Egmont first:, and then will set her course for Auckland, landing this afternoon at Alringi/ie Aerodrome, where there is to be a Large public gathering, an I the Governor-Genera.' and Prime Al'nister are expected to speak at the reception hv telegraph from Wellington. Al’ss Ba t ten is flying without wireless. She- stated she expected to nrik the crossing in n’ine hour*. and will have petrol for 2000 ml'os’ fly'ng Last evening's weather report was fairly favourable as, regards Eastern Tasman Sea. Miss Batten’s Intention MAYOR OF AUCKLAND INFORMED AUCKLAND, October 15. Mr TI. Davis. Mayor of Auckland, spoke to Aliss Batten, by the radio telephone to-day. Aliss Batten said that she intended t,o make the Tasman flight to-inorrow. if possib'e. She would fly toward the New Zealand coast until she s’ghted Alount Egmont;. and she would then fly to Auckland, landing at the Mangrjro ’drome. Aliss Batton seemed to be very cheery and bright, and she said that she was not at all tired. Conversation with Father MISS BATTEN’S CONFIDENCE. AUCKLAND. October 15. From his dental surgery in Queen Streep, Air F. H. Batten this afternoon conducted a three minutes radiophone conversation with h’s daughter who was in her sitt'ng-room at a Sydnor hotel. The ennd'tion® were ideal, and not a word was missed. "Do von promise not to take off on your Tasman flight unless the weather i s perfect’’’ Air Batten asked. "Yes daddy. I promise,” came back the reply from ovqr 1000 miles away. Aliss Batten told her father that she 'wrs feel’ng in the "pink” and that she was spending the day in °uperv : sing the preparation of her machine for the Tasman crossing. "If was verv nice to receive congrata la lons from Auckland in Air Davis’s cable,” Miss Batten said. "It will bo wondcfrful to see Auckland folk aga'n to-morrow.”

“One mnrp minute tn go.’’ said the operator, and Mils Batten fln’shed the conversation with: “I'I 1 see you at Mangere about four to-morrow afternoon —and T won’t come if the weather is bad.’’ Mangere Arrangements FOR THE ARRIVAL. AUCKLAND. October 15. Arrangement-' have been complete' for the reception of Miss .Tenn Batten at the Mangere Aerodrome to morrow. The Postmaster-General, Hon. F Jones, pill represent the Government whi’e the Mayor of Auckland M' Ernrtst Davis, will welcome the fl’• on behalf of the citizens. A civic reception will be held at the Town TTall on Saturday night. The Mayor is inv't'ng the Govern-or-General and the Prime Minister to speak at the reception, by telephone from Wellington. Tn order to a=sisf M'ss Batten financially. the Auckland Ae,ro Club has decided to make a small charge for admission to the aerodrome. WEATHER REPORT AWAITED. (Received October 15, 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY. October 15. Providing that the weather report which she is receiving to-night is satisfactory Miss Jean Batten well take off at 'dawn to-morrow morning for New Zealand Good Weather Report FLIGHT TO START ABOUT DAWN (Rece'ved October 15. 10.40 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 15. The weather report a s regards Tasman Sea is a. very natisfactory one. Miss Bat-fen is' definitely Jeaving about dawn on her flight to New Zealand. Vessels on the Route FIVE STEAMERS. (Received October 15, at 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 15. Should Miss Batten get away on her flight in the morning, the vessel nearest to her starting point will be the liner “Makura,” which is due at Sydney on (Saturday. The freighter “Kairanga” should be half way across the Tasman Sea. While Miss Batten i. s approaching New Zealand, there should be the “Mariposa” on her route. Two other freighters, the “Ka'miro” and the “Kaiwarra” should be slightly northward of/ Nliss Batten's course. Faith in Her Machine GREAT PUBLIC INTEREST. (Received October 15. at 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY. October 15. Miss Batten flew her machine to the Richmond Aerodrome this afternoon. Everything is in readiness for her big adventure.

There is intense public interest bejng shown at Sydney, owing to the

I widespread publicity which the uews [tapers have given Aliss Batleu’s Eng-land-Australia triumph. Aliss Batten has received every assistance from the technical staffs at Mascot Aerodrome and has been assured that her machine is in perfect trim. In a final interview to-day, Aliss Batten said; “I have perfect faith in my machine, but I will not leave unless the weather j s favourable.” No Radio to be Taken (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) SYDNEY,. October 15. Jean Batten declined the offer- of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia). Limited, to in.stal wire'cAs in her plane, as all the available space in the plane’s cockp't is taken up with extra fuel and oil tanks. No- rubber boat will be carried, Aliss Batten being confident that if the p'ane is forced down it will remain afloat for a long period. She emphasised that oh > will' leave nothing’to chance, and if the weather forecasts are unfavourabb l she. will postpone departure until adequate information is received. Siu will carry sufficient petrol for 200'1 miles. Captain Taylor, who probably ha greater know'edge than any other airman of thft Tasman and the vagaries of its weather, has given Jean Batten generous advice regarding the route Although present reports indicated stormy conditions, over the western section of the Tasman, there is a tendency towards improvement. STANNAGE’S OPINION. COMPASS TROUBLE UNLIKELY. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND. October 14. "Jean Batten should not have any compass trouble at all.” said Air J S- W. Stannage, of Auckland, referring to a cable message from Adelaide concerning magnetic disturbances said by an expert there to be a danger on the New Zealand coast, especiaUy if flying blind. Air Stannage five times crossed the Tasman with the late Sir Charles Kingsford-Smbth. "There are- certain places around »hc| Now Zealand eoa c t where magnetic di'iturbanccs have an effect on compasses ” he said. "White Islam' is one. Any surface navigator will te 1 ’ you that variations do occur in some places, but if Alim Batten fl’Cs high she should not have any compas* trouble) at all. Given a reasonably fine day, she will be abie to see the New Zealand coast when she is 150 m'le s awav.”

The 'Only occasion on which compass trouble was experienced by Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith when Air Stannage was with him ns wireless operator, was during the famous Atlantic flight, but that was cau=od by electrical disturbances. Air Stannage s<aid that compass trouble, had never been experienced around tin New Zealand coast during the five flights across the Tasman. Confirmation of the statement that Ao's s Batten should not experience compass trouble was g ven by Air C. E. Kav who flew the Tasman with Air J. D. Hewett, after the Alelbourne Centenary Air Race. There was never any suggestion on that occasion that the aeroplane’s compass had been affected.

UNCLE’S CONFIDENCE. STRATFORD, October 14. “The only way to stop Jean Batten from flving the Tasman is to shoot her.’’ said Mr E. R. L. Batten, a Stratford dentist, Miss Batten’s uncle, this morning. “I am satisfied that her nerve w l ' last longer than her engines,’’ he said-. “I have a lot of confidence in her. an.-t know that the r'.sks of a Ta c man flight w ; ll appeal to her temperament. Tf she was-game enough to attempt helast England-Australia flight in little squirt of a mnch'ne she '.s gam enough for anything. T would like to see her flv the Tasman, though, naturally. I do not want to see anything happen to her. I am confident that she would succeed. MISS BATTEN’S PAST FLIGHTS. The flight across the Tasman _ i.s shorter than Miss Batten’s crossing of the South Atlantic last year. The distance from Sydney to Auckland is 1162 miles, from Sydney to New Plymouth 1206 miles, anj from Sydney to Wellington 1142 miles. The young airwoman, in the samet Percival Gull machine, with a Gipsy VI. engine, flew solo from Eng’and to Brazil last November. She was the first woman to attempt it. Although she had to cross the South Atlantic, she carried no lifebelt or coPapsible boat. The 1400 miles to Casablanca, Morocco, were covered without a stop. She then flaw over a region where several Fregieh airmen had come down and been held, to ransom by tribesmen. From ’Thies,, near Dakar, West Africa. M's s Batten then crossed 1700 miles of sea to Port Natal, Braz’d, in 13 hours 15 minutes, beating the) previous record of 16 hours 57 minutes. She also made the fastest flight from Lympne to Port Natal, her fine being 61 hours IS minutes, against Mr MoPison’s 32 hours. Her sea erossng was a brilliant pi’cftc of navigation. Even a slight error in her calculations over such a long distance nvght have resulted in disaster. LEARNING TO FLY. Miss Batten Is the daughter of Mr F. H. Batten, dentist, Auckland. She was born nt Rotorua, and was educated at the Diocesan High Schoo 1 , Auckland, and at Miss Moore-Jones s College,. Remuera. She learned to fly with the London Aeroplane Club in 1930. and took an engineering course at the De Havilland School of Flying in the following year. Her A license was endorsed for passenger carrying at Auckland about five years ago. and she now holds n B or commercial pilot’s ticket. Miss Batten i s 25 yeai"of age. small and graceful, and ■” fine pianrst and dancer. Her brother Mr John Batten, appeared in the British film, “Under tho Greenwood Treei,” FIRST FLIGHT.

Her first attempt to fly to Australia was made is April,. 1933, but the flight ended when she ran out of fue three mi'e* from Karachi and had t ■ make her landing downwind on ? w'nding road. A fckv days previou-b--«he had had M land in a sandstorm in Baluchistan, and rode 27 Hides on .•amel-back in the moonlight escort cd by w-’ld tribesmen, her mach’n having been damaged On her socon ' attempt, in April, 1934, her maeh : w was wrecked a few niijes from Home

when the ran of fuel atifl had to make, alright landing in a field surrounded by power lines and wireless aerials. Her successful flight a month later was her third attempt, and her time was five days, better .than that of Airs Afoll'iison. In April,. 1935, she. returned to England in her Moth, covering the distance in 17 (lays 16 hours 15 minutes. Aliss Batten thus became the first woman .to fly from England to Australia anti back. HER PRESENT PLANE. Following this flight, she-, bought the Percival Alew Guli she is now flying, and in November last made a record crossing of the South Atlantic Ocean, from Dakar to Natal. Brazil, in 13 hours 15 m'nutes. This cut 3 hours 15 minutes from the record of SenoCompo, of Spain. The successful conclusion of this flight also lowered the English-South America figures of Air J. A. Afollison from 82 hours 8 minutes to 61 hours 15 minutes. On the trip to Rio de Janiero that, followed she was forecd to land on a beach owing to a leaking petrol tank. Aliss Batten has been the recipient of several honours. Upon her arrival in New Zealand after beating Aliss Amy Johnson’s record, the New Zealand Government presented her with .£5OO. Following her South Atlantic hop, she received the Brazilian Or ler of the Southern Cross, and France raised her to a. Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. She was also made a Companion of the Order of the British Empire in the Birthday Honours this year.

The Royal Aero Club awarded her the Britannia Trophy for 1935 for the most meritorious night made by a British subject during the year, and she also received from the Guild of Pilots and Navigators of the British Empire the Johnston Memorial Plaque for the best feat, of navigation bv a civil aviator.

The record Aliss Batten has just broken was 6 days 21 hours 19 minutes. and was p et up by Mr H. F. Broadbent in a Percival Gull.

The light aeroplane record for tne distance is still held by Messrs AfeGregor and Walker, whose time was 5 days 15 hours 8 minutes, or six hours longer than that of Aliss Batten, whose machine is considerably faster than theirs.

Her Mew Gull is powered by a 200 h.p. Gipsy Six engine similar to those on the Cook Strait Airways machine. It has a maximum speed of 225 m.p.h., a cruising speed of 190 m.p.h., and a landing speed of 58 m.p.h. SCOTT RETURNS. LONDON, October 14. Scott and Guthrie landed at Croydon. Scott said that the Johannesburg race was a piece of nonsense. “I was glad I flew the ionly machine which returned under its own power, and ■not. in a packing case.’’ The suggestions that the machines were tampered with, lie .-aid. wore ridiculous. R.A.F. ALTITUDE RECORD. (British Official Wireless). RUGBY. October 13. The possibility of making a fresh attsmpt on the- high aititmte record established last month by SquadronLeader Swayne, a Royal Air Force officer, is receiving the consideration of the Air Ministry. Nothing defin’te has so far been arranged. It is understood that in the event of a further attempt, the Bristol 138 machine flown by Squadron-Leader Swayne wiR again be used. CHICHESTER REACHES ENGLAND (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, October 15. Chichester and Herrick, two New Zealand airmen, who left WePington in June for England, have arrived at their destination. They shipped their plane to Sydney, whence they flew to Shanghai, hoping for permission to fly across Russ'a. Th's. however, was refused, anfl they flew to Calcutta, proceeding th'tnce by the usual air route FORCED LANDING. JOHANNESBURG. October 14. The- well-known test p-l’ot. G. B Errington, and a passenger, en route to Abereorn from Mpika,. in a Puss Moth to examine Waller’s crashed machine, have been missing since Monday. There is much anxiety for their safety, and Waller is participating in the search. LONDON, October 14.

The Airspeed Company has received a cablegram from South Africa stating that Errington landed at Abercorn. after making a force-] landing in the bush near Sumbawanga.