FLIGHT FROM SYDNEY TO AUCKLAND

Grey River Argus, 17 October 1936, Page 7

FLIGHT FROM SYDNEY TO AUCKLAND

TASMAN CROSSED IN 91 HOURS

London to New Zealand Under 11 Days

(Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) SYDNEY. October 15. The weather at Sydney to-night is mild and pleasant. The weather report includes a following wind for a thousand miles. She hopes to reach New Zealand in ten hours. Jean Batten is remaining in New Zealand for about three months. She makes personal appearane.es at theatres, wherefor contracts were signed here to-day. THE START. SYDNEY. October 16. .Tenn Batten left Richmird aerodrome at 4.35 this morning, on the last stage of her epic fight from Lonkn to Auckland. Her arrival in New Zealand will mark the first occasion of a flight from England to New Zealand. OUT £OR RECORD. Tn a farewell message, the aviatiix said; If I succeed in reaching New Zealand in ton hours. I will have created a record for the crossing and frankly, I will be bitterly disappointed if I do not establish it. After a refreshing sleep, she was awakened by Royal Australian Air Force Officers at three in the morning. She looked thoroughly fit, and wore the now famous white flying suit, GOOD TAKE OFF, Heavily laden with 147 gallons of petrol, the IPeeival Gul] made a perfect take-off, after a run of five hundred yards between long lines of flares. After circling the field in a farewell salute, Jean Batten headed east, towards the rising sun, and in a few minutes the machine was out of sight, and hearing. Many cars and hundreds of people witnessed the departure.

“If I Go Down”

HER FAREWELL MESSAGE. SYDNEY, October IG. Miss Batten in her farewell message added; “Do not worry, I will be in Auckland on time. The Tasman Sea holds no terrors for me. The Tasman is little more than double the Timor Sea crossing, and I have flown that three times, so it should not be too bad. She carries sandwiches, a thermos flask of coffee, iand a couple of oranges. Asked if the flight, over the Tasman would be monotonous, she pointed out that she would bo kept busy attending to the fuel tanks, altitude, wind direction and drift, and writing up the log, which she says kept her from going to sleep on many occasions. Discussing navigation, she recalled that on the flight from' West Africa to Brazil she was less than a mile off her course when she arrived' at her destination, “so navigation holds no real terrors for me.” Jean Batten carries a lifebelt in the plane, but interviewed just before her departure she said; “If I go down in the sea, I don’t want anyone to fly on 1and look for me. I have chosen this flight, and Ti am confident I can make it, but I have no wish to imperil otheis or cause trouble and expense to the country.” She has sufficient petrol Io fly to New Zealand and half-way back. She intends flying at a height of about six hundred feet. SIGHTED BY MAKURA. CHRISTCHURCH October 16. The Makura reported that it sighted Jean Batten at 11 a.m. New Zealand time. 600 miles out from Sydney. Her speed was ISO miles an hour. ESCORT FOR AVIATRIX, AUCKLAND, October 16. Hoping to pick up Jean Batten and escort her to Mangere aerodrome, two planes left Auckland shortly after midday. One was the naval Amphibian Walrus, from ihe warship Achilles, piloted by Lieutenant Coode with Lieutenant Smallwood as observer. The other was a Wildebeest plane from tT7e Defence Department aerodrome, Hobsonville, piloted by Flying Officer Lest. The planes are making for New Plymouth as it is hoped to sight the Tasman flyer in the vicinity of Mount Egmont.

Over Taranaki A FAST PASSAGE. ACCURATE NAVIGATION. NEW PLYMOUTH, October 16. Sweeping in from Tasman Sea, Miss Patten flew over New Plymouth at a high speed, making a wide curve over the aerodrome, nt five minutes past four, and then roared away into a following wind in the direction of Auckland. Several hundred people gathered at the aerodrome, and thousands in the town waved frantically as the graceful plane as it sped over at about 500 feet altitude. \ Tn an incredibly short time, the machine had disappeared into the mist. Although Mount Egmont was at times shrouded in misty scud, the clouds werp probably local, for Miss Batten made the landfall unerringly, thus indicating the perfection of her navigation. Preparations had been made at the aerodrome for a landing, if it were necessary, but from the ground Miss Patten seemed- in no need of a slop after her long flight. During the afternoon, several aeroplanes. including an Air Force bomber, piloted by Flight-Lieutenant Lester, scouted the ocean front, but all were ,ou the ground when Miss Batten sud-

denly appeared. Immediately she had passed over, the bomber took to the air in pursuit, but the big machine had no hope of overtaking the sleek, .shining monoplane.