AUTOGIRO FLIGHT
Melbourne to Smithton Over Bass Strait NOTABLE ADVENTURE A notable adventure in aviation was undertaken recently by two young men, Mr. C. Gatenby, formerly of Tasmania and a relative of Mr. John Gatenby, of Clifton, and Sir. H. A. Dekantzo, of New Guinea, who succeeded in crossing from Melbourne to Smithton, in Tasmania, in an autogiro machine. It is the only machine of its type in Australia, and is owned byMr. Gatenby. The two adventurous young men made a stop at King Island, which is an hour and three-quarter s flight from Melbourne, and spent two days giving joy-rides there. The flight from King Island to Smithton took an hour. At King Island Mr. Gatenby was joined by a. Captain Burgess, who acted as navigator. Without even a compass to help him, he made a direct course for Smithton.
The autogiro is the only wingless plane in Australia, and the flight over Bass Strait constitutes a record overwater flight for that type of aircraft. Referring to the safety of the autogiro type, Mr, Gatenby said that throughout the whole history of autogiros not one life had been lost. The machine was brought from England a year ago, and has been flown continuously on barnstorming tours. Also, it has done a good deal of survey and photographic work. The machine has a cruising speed of 105 m.p.h. and a maximum of 150 m.p.h. It can hover for an indefinite period, and land almost vertically. The take-off is made from a very short run. Mr. Gatenby is a native of Tasmania, and is well known in aviation circles. He has flown in all types of aircraft, and his total flying-time amounts to over 3000 hours. He is fully qualified in all branches of aeronautics, and also holds a parachutist’s license. He gained considerable experience when piloting for various commercial companies in New Guinea, and was engaged in the task of transporting golddredges by aeroplane. Later, in England, he received advanced training, including autogiro instruction.
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Bibliographic details
Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 109, 21 April 1936, Page 6
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334AUTOGIRO FLIGHT Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 109, 21 April 1936, Page 6
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