AMY JOHNSON’S FEAT

Hokitika Guardian, 21 November 1932, Page 3

AMY JOHNSON’S FEAT

NOT TOO TIRED TO TALK. (British Ojficiul Wireless.) RUGBY, In a telephone communication with his wife at Cape Town, lVioilison assured her of toe personal pride he {»lt in her performance, which lie said, probably would do more to advance British aviation than anr single flight yet done.

Yvnen Mollison suggested that she must be very tired after her four-days’ night, she srid that she was not too tired to go on talking.

Mrs Mollison’s machine, Desert Cloud, was a standard De Havillaud Puss Moth cabin aeroplane, fitted with a Gipsy Moth eng nc of 130 hoi'se-pow-er. Tlie machine was equipped .with special petrol tanks. Normally these machines carry tanks of 35 gallons capaity, but by utilising the space occupied by back seats for iuel tanks the capacity was increased,to 120 gallons, the range being increased from 050 to 1850 miles. The, route followed was the most direct one passible.

£IOOO GIFT FOIt FLYER

FAMOUS AIRMEN PRAISE

LONDON, November 18

Mr A. E. Whitelaw, of Melbourne merchant lias given Mrs Mollison £IOOO in recognition of her performance.

Captain Broad describes the feat as the most magnificent any airwoman has-achieved.

Costes, the French, flyer, says that it would be a fine- feat;for a. man, but ij is still finer 'for'a'• woman, though there is no reason -why women, -whom he places on , an equal footing, should not emulate the male aviator. Mrs Mollison used the Aeronautical Association maps previously supplied to her Inis band;

Congratulatory telegrams were sent to her by Lord Londonderry, Lord Wakefield, • the Aeronautical Society and Captain Hope, the King’s Cup winner.

Mr Mollison, speaking at a dinner pit. Brooklands Automobile Racing Club said that fV-was- nearly the happiest day of his life. He knew liis wife had the skill to beat the record, but did not think that she possessed sufficient endurance.

CONGRATULATIONS FROM KING LONDON, November 20.

The King has telegraphed to Amy Johnson as follows:—“Heartest congradations on your splendid achievement,. I trust you are not too exhausted.”

In a broadcast relayed to London, Amy Johnson said that she had undertaken her flight ae a test of endurance. She said that she, had slept overnight'on her flight to Australia, but now 'sha had flown day and night. She was still quite fresh and was ready to return. Site shows little distress after 14 hours’ continuous sleep. MOLLISON AND THE RECORD. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) November 20. ■ Mollison, after listening to his wife’s broadcast of her experiences, said that ho would wait until tlie record was again broken before re-at-tacking it.