FLIGHT RECORD BROKEN

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 3 May 1934, Page 5

FLIGHT RECORD BROKEN

AUSTRALIA TO ENGLAND EIGHT DAYS, TWELVE HOURS TRIP BY RUBINS AND WALLER. MELBOURNE RACE ENTRANTS. (United Prcsfl Association —By Electric felegraplj Copyright.) LONDON, May 1. The airmen Bernard Rubins and Kenneth Waller landed at Eastbourne, having flown from Darwin in eight days twelve hours. Rubins says that he*believes they have broken Mollison’s record, but it' will not bo recognised, as it was not officially timed.

Rubins and Waller had a thrilling moment over the Timor Sea when the engine suddenly ran faultily mid the machine lost height. The men were perturbed, then remembered that one tank not properly filled had run dry. It was only a matter of switching from one tank to the other. They reached Calcutta on April 26 and Aleppo on, April ,30. ... Tli.ey. Jeft Rome .this morning. This was their worst day’s flying, as there were low clouds across France, and they flew blind through a Channel fog till they saw a house which they recognised as a friend’s bungalow at Pevensey, and landed at Eastbourne. Only 30 saw the landing, tlieir arrival being quite unexpected. ■Waller explained that when they left Darwin they had no idea of breaking the record, but as they got on and found they wore making good time they decided on the last two days to go all out. . . I’lio trip was most valuable in giving them a, better chance in the Melbourne race. The worst section was from Rangoon to Singapore, also from Darwin southwards over rough country with no place for landing. 'Flic fog was so bad at Le Touquot that the authorities forbade their departure. After waiting for a while they were allowed to go, having signed a document freeing the aerodrome staff of responsibility. .

Mr. .T. A. Mollison’s record time was 8 days 21 hours 25 minutes. On their flight from England to Australia Messrs Rubins and Waller left England on March 22 and arrived at Darwin on April 6.