AMBITIOUS AIRWOMEN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 210, 18 August 1934, Page 6

AMBITIOUS AIRWOMEN

In Centenary Race SEVEN “SPEED” COMPETITORS Much colour will be added to the Melbourne Centenary’ air races from England to Melbourne in October by the inclusion of seven women competitors, five pilots and two copilots, who are to be greatly admired for their pluck in taking part in such a gruelling international event, in which physical endurance will play a great part. Nearly all of these airwomen have already won world renown for their prowess and outstanding ability, and it can safely be said that much will be heard of them during the progress of the contest. There are two races, speed and handicap, in which 64 ’planes will compete, and it is noteworthy that all of the women will be in the speed event, which, it is expected, will be won in about four days, the total distance being 11,340 miles. The list of entries includes the fol lowing airwomen:—Mrs. J. A. Mollison (Britain), co-pilot; Mrs. Keith Miller (Britain), pilot, with Mrs. Neil Fer guson as co-pilot; Miss Ruth Nicholls (U.S A.), pilot; Mrs. Louise Thaden (U-S.A.), pilot; Miss Laura Ingalls (UB.A.), pilot; and Mrs. Jacqueline Cochrane (U.S.A.), pilot. Best known in this part of the world is Mrs. J. A. Mollison (Miss Amy Johnson), who will fly with her husband in a de Havilland “Comet” ’plane, with a cruising speed of 200 miles an hour. This smiling Yorkshire woman, small of stature and slight of build, is 30 years of age, and was married in 1932. She has given ample evidence to the world of her determination and grit. After 19 days of peril and anxiety she arrived at Darwin in May, 1930, in her ’plane Jason’s Quest, being the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. Incidentally, she set up a new record for a solo fligl to India-Karachi in six days. For this epic flight the King conferred on her the honour of Commander, Order of the British Empire. Mrs. Keith Miller, an airwoman well known to Australians, will pilot an Airspeed Courier machine, which has been entered by Mr. R. K. Dundas, Indian agent for Sir Alan Cobham, the brilliant British airman. Her assistant will be Mrs. Neil Ferguson. Mrs. Miller, petite, with brown eyes and brown hair, has the distinction of being the first woman ever to fly to Australia, having accompanied Captain Lancaster from England to Australia in the ’plane Red Rose in 1927-28. Later she went to the United States, where she did a great deal of fly’ing. In 1929 she gained seventh place in the 6300 miles tour of America for the Edsel trophy, and in the following year she established records for women flyers for east-west and west-east flights’ across the United States. For a time she acted as demonstrator of small aeroplanes and amphibians.