WOMAN FLYER’S FEAT

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 23 May 1932, Page 5

WOMAN FLYER’S FEAT

Across Atlantic Alone 1 TRIPLE RECORD ESTABLISHED Mrs. Putnam’s Achievement AMERICA TO IRELAND I TEN HOURS IN FIERCE STORM. ,Ui.ac<l i'resa Aoaucuuuu-uy nieoirio leiegrapu j l» l j 1 LONDON, May 21. i Three records were established by 1 Mrs. Amelia Earhart l’utman, who flew 1 across the Atlantic from Harbour < Grace Newfoundland, to Londonderry, J Ireland. Her objective was France, but a broken petrol guage necessitated j \ her alighting m Ireland. She flew the > last 10 hours in a violent storm. 1 American naval experts estimate Mrs i Putman’s time at 15hrs 39 min and 1 British air circles estimate 14hrs ob ( min. ,• -j j. “I’ve done it, but sorry 1 didn t make France,” said tlie airwoman, who ] is acclaimed as the heroine of women s noblest triumph in aviation. She cele- i brated the anniversary of Lmdibegh ® i flight by creating three records. She is tlie first woman to fly the Atlantic alone, the first flier to cross the Atlantic twice, and she completed the distance in the fastest tune 13hrs lo min according to Iter own computation, ■beating Aleock and Brown s record, which stood for 13 year’s. Mrs Putman’s arrival was as dramatic as tlie fight, which was notable for tlie flier’s combating of dangerous machine troubles for ten hours iu storm and fog. She alighted in a field near a farmhouse, two miles from Londonderrv and was greeted by Mr. Gallagher, tlie owner, who was amazed to recognise the red and .gold body of -| the ’plane, which he had just previous- < ly read a description. 1 Mrs. Putman hurned-to Londonderry - to announce her arrival. She said that j three hours after the start the alti- ; meter stopped functioning at a height of 1200 feet. She thereafter flew low till the weather forced her up. Four hours out she saw flames shoot from the exhaust and thought, “Thats done it 99 “I found the exhaust manifold had burnt out,” she said, “but the engine stuck it. I had 1000 miles to go. The weather was good for a space and then became worse, with many thunderstorms. I found ice forming on the wings owing to the height.. Later rain came and some fog. Finally the petrol gauge in the cockpit 'broke. JL felt petrol running down my back and began to fear .tbe fuel would not last the journey. I saw only one vessel, a tanker off the coast of Ireland, which i I circled, hoping the ship would radio | mv whereabouts.” , « 1 The storms curtailed the speed or the ’plane. Mrs. Putman aimed at Valencia but struck the middle or Ireland She flew north looking for a town but, fearing a fuel shortage landeel when tshe •found a suitaible fie id. Mrs. Putman is receiving oongratnnitions from many parts of the world A Harbour Grace message says the pilot lifted the heavily laden craft skilfully from the field. The red and gold ’plane disappeared eastward over the same route that Mrs. Putman travelled four years ago, when a passenger she became the first woman to cross, the Atlantic bv air. The machine is a 600 h.p. Wasp, with a cruising speed of 140 miles an hour. Better known by her maiden name, Amelia Earhart, Mrs. Putman was the first woman to fly the Atlantic In company with Wilmer Stutz and. Louis Gordon, a mechanic, she new in t>ne seaplane Friendship from Newfoundland to Burry Point, Wales, m June 1928. j GALLON OF PETROL LEFT Rieceived 10.15 a.m. to-day. LONDON, May 22. Mrs Putnam states that only a gallon of petrol was left when she landed. She expected the machine would be dismantled and shippe.d to Anienca. PRESS ’PLANE CRASHES TWO OCCUPANTS KILLED Received 11 a.m. to-day. LONDON, May 22. Flying from Londonderry to London with pictures, of Mrs Putnam’s arrival, a monoplane piloted by Major Irwin Napier Clarke and carrying a passenger, Mr Victor Barton, a “Daily Sketch” photographer, crashed near the coast- at Stranrasr, Wigtownshire. Both were killed.