The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, October 17th, 1936. MISS BATTEN’S FEAT.

Grey River Argus, 17 October 1936, Page 6

The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, October 17th, 1936. MISS BATTEN’S FEAT.

Her triumphal arrival from Australia yesterday set the crown to the flying career of Miss Jean Batten. She completed more records than she mentioned. She singled out this country as probably the only in the world whose foremost flyer is a woman. • She also ranked herself at least the equal of any woman in th e whole annals of aviation. Her feat in beating the England-Australia solo record, and in setting a record for the flight from England to Sydney had seemed to her admirers enough to content any aviatrix, but in the face of geii oral pleading not to isk the Tas--

man. she demonstrated her superior judgment, and also bettered the time of famous airmen who preceded her on this flight. Her machine undoubtedly is the fastest that has essayed the crossing, but it called for the highest degree of ability to navigate it so as to reach New Zealand in the wonderful time of nine and a-half ho*urs. Anxiety as to her capacity had been quite excusable. considering the known vag aries of Tasman Sea weather conditions, and also the opinions of several noted airmen who are familiar with, those changes. The

occasion might even have recall cd for some the first ill-fated atetempt at this flight by Moncrieff and Hood. -Inst as there is no comparison, however, between their machine and the one which so admirably has vindicated the confidence of Miss Batten, so is ther e non e between their ability and her own personally. New Zealanders might envy her fame, but none familiar with her sustained. training could fail to note the outstanding feature of her career. Allowing for original genius, Miss Batten has been nevertheless the product of perseverance and character as an aviatrix. Her earlier efforts lacked that degree of success that she since has attained, but not at all the degree of determination and fortitude which must be indispensable for such a feat as that of yesterday, or those during the preceding ten days while sh e was coming from one side of the world to the other. That she has realised her ambition to have come from the Old Country to her own country in a direct flight, is a fact in which her prid e will be shared by everybody in the Dominion, denoting as it does that spirit of loyalty to her native land in which New Zealanders generally can feel they all participate.- In the science and art of aviation Miss Batten has given New Zealand a worthy place, and her name always will remain an inspiration for young people of the Dominion to aim at excelling as aviators. It may now be possible for the Dominion to utilise her abilities for the national advantage, although as one among the pioneers in solo flying, she may follow the example of so many in following the trail of adventure, rather than retire to the humdrum course of ordinary flying. An American woman, Mrs Putman Earbart has negotiated the North Atlantic, but New Zealanders are more apt to compare Miss Batten with Mrs Amy Johnson Mollison, who made history when she flew years ago from England to Australia. Nothing will dim the fame of that performance, nor will any subsequent feat by a woman eclipse the glory of the much longer and much faster flight which Miss Batten so brilliantly finalised ( yesterday at- Mangere. Fitting expression to the popular feeling has been given .by the spokesmen of the Dominion and also those of Australia, while it goes without saying that the pluck and intelligence exhibited by the aviatrix y-ill claim world-wide recognition. The story of her flight has yet to be told in detail, and one detail which already has been noted indicates it will be a thrilling story. It is the fact that the lettering of her plane became obilerated on the journey, so closely was the flying to the surface of the sea. There must be an ordeal behind that revelation, and when the . complete narrative is published it will be of the greatest interest. Cleantime, Miss Batten has made history and better than, words could do her flight speaks for itself.