THE MELBOURNE CENTENARY AIR RACE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 4410, 27 October 1934, Page 3

THE MELBOURNE CENTENARY AIR RACE.

McGREGOR and walker REACH AUSTRALIA.

AND STAND CHANCE OF "WINNING HANDICAP EVENT,

The fourth place in the speed contest was taken on Thursday hy ■Gathcart Jones »and Ken Waller, who. in a de Haviland iComet reached the finishing line at Melbourne at 2.54 p.m., local time, or 4.54 a.m., G.M.T. „ . Interest in the Melbourne Centenary air race is now chiefly centred on the New Zealand competitors': Squadron-Leader McGregor and Mr H. Walker, of Palmerston North. Flying the smallest air race machine yet to reach Australia, they arrived at Darwin at 7.20 o’clock yesterday morning from, Koepang. . . (Walker, and McGregor are still holding fifth, place in the speed section.

Both men were pleased with their experience in crossing the Timor Sea. McGregor said they would have; been in Australia on Thursday had it hot been necessary to dismantle the cowling at Koepang. The pilots 'were more than a little "tired, bht a Cold wash and a hot breakfast revived them.

McGregor was very modest in describing the flight, which occupied five days 15 J hours from London. >

“We had a very good trip,” he said. “There were noflncidents. I could do with a little sleep. Both of us had practically none since we left London, but we managed to get a short nap yesterday night while waiting for the cowling to be overhauled;’’

When it was pointed out to McGregor that his time from London was really an excellent performance for a light single-engined machine, he modestly replied: ‘lt feels like a month. We want to pusli on as quickly as possible; there is no sense in wasting time.”

McGregor added that they had not encountered any major trouble. They were bogged at Alor Star, where the. mud seemed to be giving trouble to most of the planes. The flight over the Timor Sea this morning was a very good one. but at one stage they ran into a heavy rainstorm, and in order to dodge it, had .to { climb to a very great altitude. “Night flying,” McGregor added “does not worry us a bit now, because we have done so much of it on this flight.” The Manawatu plane left at 8.37 a.m., local time and landed at Brunette Downs at 7 p.m.

The following cable has been sent from Palmerston North to Squadron-Leader McGregor and Mr- Walker, care of the Air Race Committee, Melbourne: — . “Your magnificent achievement has thrilled everyone. Heartiest congratulations —Mansford (Mayob), Nash and Linklater,..M.’sP.’” , The Mayor has also despatched a, : cable to the Air Race Committee at Melbourne asking to l>e advised of the approximate time of the arrival of the Manawatu ’plane at Elemington and in reply to a re- • quest that the arrival of the New Zealanders at Melbourne be broadcast, the New Zealand Broadcasting Board 1 has stated that if conditions are suitable, it will endeavour to make arrangements* . THE OTHER COMPETITORS. Hewitt and Kay arrived at Koepang at 3.50 p.m., yesterday G.M.T. Melrose is at Singapore. He experienced very stormy weather. Hansen left Alor Star at 2.45 p.m. yesterday, GjM.T. "W|right and Polando arrived at Karachi at 12.15 p.m., yesterday, G.M.T.

The Stodart Brothers, who left Singapore at 8.05 a.m., local time, on Thursday, nearly met disaster at Alor Star yesterday when they landed in six inches of water. Their machine nearly tipped up when they were talcing off in the darkness yesterday morning and had to be dug out of the mud.

The Mollisons have arrived at Calcutta. They said they might continue to Australia slowly or return to England. Amy added that no praise was too high for Scott. Turner is shipping his Boeing Transport aeroplane to Honolulu, and thence flying to San Francisco? . Scott is shipping his Comet back to England. Parmentier is flying the Douglas hack to Holland.

OUT TO BEAT SCOTT’S RECORD Colonel Fitzmauriee, who withdrew his Bellanca from the race because he wanted to carry 8000 pounds weight of petrol; when his American certificate of airworthiness authorised him to carry only 5000 'pounds, has now passed the nedessary tests with, the former amount . ..and expected to leave Lympne for Australia to-dav in the. hope of breaking Scott and Black’s time, for the journey—7l hours. . He is to be accompanied by Sergeant Bonar. •< Waller and Jones c,l iiitend attempting to fly hack to England in eight, days. They claim their machine is faster than Scott’s. They left Laverton aerodrome at 9 a.m. -to-day. W; < . ’ ..

■ SIR MACPHERSQN ROBERTSON DEFENDS “SAHTECY.” Speaking at the Centenary luncheon yesterday Sir MacPherson Robertson said; he had received many letters suggesting that Kings-

ford Smith had tricked him. Warmly defending . Smith, Sir MaePherson Robertson said lie had always found him honest and upright. He was convinced that, if he had entered the race, he would have been a close finisher with Seott.

PROPOSED TASMAN AIR RACE,

The Canterbury Aero . Club. has decided to support a proposal to try to promote an air race from Melbourne to : Christ church. A cablegram has been sent to the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.), who is at present in Melbourne, asking him to get into communication with the aviation authorities to ascertain whether, in the event of the club raising £2OOO in prize money, sufficient entries would be received to make the race worth while. FIJI-HAWAII .FLIGHT. Suva. October 26. The airmen. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Captain Taylor, returned to Suva by boat this morning. They state that they, will return to Naselai on Sunday and depart at dawn on Monday, when they will avoid the cross-wind and get a full day’s flying, and thus lighten the big load of benzine before night. They will also sight Plioenix Island by daylight as an aid to navigation. Adverse weather reports from Pago Pago also contributed to the decision, to delay the departure.