NEW ZEALAND FLIGHT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 13 September 1928, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND FLIGHT

TASMAN AIRMEN’S TOUR VISITS TO CHIEF CENTRES. DEPARTURE FOR SYDNEY. I Li} Telegraph—Press Asswilatlvu.) CiHIRhSICIHURiCiH, Sept. 12. Arrangements were completed this afternoon by Squadron-Leader Ivingsiord -Sttniitlh and rTight-Eiautenant Lira for the itinerary of the. aiiimen on their tour of New Zeaiiind. It was definitely deoiided that the Southern dross would not .be taken on the tour, but the airmen have, accepted tne Government’s offer of the use o, three- aeroplanes, lllie flyers expressed a desire to see the four main centres, in addition to> any other -centre, that is interested in aeronautics.

Tlie airmen euro particularly keen to boost aviation, and th-at is tne reason they will spent a- night in Blenheim during the northern tour, as an aero oluib has recently been formed there. Tlhey propose to leave Christchurch on Friday at about 3 p.m. and travel to Blenheim, .where they will spend the night. The following morning they will arrive at Trenthiam afc approximately 10.30 o’dlock, spent Sunday and Monday in Wellington, and on Tuesday they will leave for Auckland, arriving there in the afternoon. Wednesday they willil spend in Auckland, and on Thursday they iviilll leave for Riotorua. The airmen will return to Auckland on Saturday, September 22. The following day they will leave Auckland and wiill arrive back at Soclcbuni on Monday, September 24. It is anticipated that the party, an its* return from the northern tour, will take an opportunity during the ensuing week of flying to Dunedin and, if possible, lto Invercargill. They propose to depart for Sydney on Sunday, September 30, which day Navigator Litchfield i ndicates is the best, as the moon will then be /at the full. Captains Findlay and Buckley wall act as escorts on the tou.r of New Zealand. It will probably be arranged 'that Squadron-Leader Kiingsford Smith and Lieutenant Ulm will occupy one plane, Captain Findlay and Mr Litchfield the second, and Captain Buckley and Air MeWililiam the third. With -reference to the return flight across the Tasman, after consideration by the party to-day, it wa& announced that the start would probably be nmd-e at daylight. King-sford Smith stated that even if they did not wand in daylight at Richmond aerodrome, he had ©very confidence tihia.t till© facilities there would enable them to make a nlight. landing.

MESSAGE FROM FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER, WELLINGTON, Sept. 13. The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth (the Rt. Hon. S. M. Bruce) has replied to the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates s teieo-ram in reference to the flight as follows: “On behalf of the Government and people of the Commonwealth, 1 thank you for the cablegrams. Australians- are iustifiably croud of Squad-ron-Leader Ivingsford Smith and his companions, and with you we view with satisfaction the fact- that a New Zealander was associated with the flight. I trust that this practical contribution to the science of practical aviation will inaugurate a new era- in the means of communication between our two Dominions.” AUSTRALIAN CONGRATULATIONS, f Australian Press Association.) Received 11 a.m. to-day. SYDNEY, Sept. 13. The Federal Prime .Minister, the Rt. Hon. S. M. Bruce, the State Premier, the Hon. T. R. Bavin, of the Sydney Aero Club, have despatched -cablegrams of the heartiest icongratuiations .to the Southern Cross aviators, whose Tasman achievement Iras thrilled Australians as much as t;he New Zealanders. One of the newspaper’s bill board reads: “'Smithy triumph's;: Anderson crashes. ’ ’ The' ‘ ‘Sun ’ ’ newspaper publishes an article praising the fliers and then asks why the States ‘Government has not yet handed over its cheque to the Pacific conquerors. PROMISE WILL BE HONOURED. CHEQUE HELD UP BY- LEGAL DIFFICULTY. Received 11.15 a.m. to-day. SYDNEY, Sept. 13. The State Premier, the Hon. T. R. Bavin, referring to the Pacific fliers’ cheque, disclaims- any intention to repudiate the. Government’s promise of reward. The fact was that another aviator had claimed to be a partner in Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith and Flight-Lieutenant Ulm’s Pacific venture and as soon as the legal difficulty with regard to 'his- claim was settled the Government would honour its obligation.