THE AIR RACE ROUTE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 4413, 3 November 1934, Page 1

THE AIR RACE ROUTE.

FIRST FLOWpST IN 1919

PREVIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS,

It is not until a comparison of the times taken by different aviators during 1 the past fifteen years, to traverse the course of the Melbourne Centenary Air-race from England to Australia, is made with that of the winners of the race, that the vast advancement in aviation over such a short period, can be realised. The desire to first fly this particular route became evident in the latter part of the year 1919, when the Australian Government offered a prize of £IO,OOO to the first all-Australian team to fly the course within 720 hours, which meant that any attempt would mean being in Australia by December 21, 1919. Six teams actually started in the pioneering effort, two reached Australia, two crashed fatally, and the others ci’ashed and returned to Australia by boat. The winning ' team, consisting of the late Sir Ross Smith, Sir Keith Smith, Serg. Sheirs and the late Serg. Bennett, flying a converted bomber “Vimy,” of 360 h.p. with two Rolls Eagle engines and loaned by the Vipkers Aircraft Co., left Hanslow on November 12th, 1919, and arrived at Darwin twenty-eight days later. Their machine was afterwards presented to the Australian W|ar Museum. Lieuts. Ross and Douglas in an overloaded Alliance “Endeavour,” crashed fatally at Sabiton a few minutes afttr clearing the Aerodrome. Capt. Howell and Serg. Fraser, in a Martin Syde “FI,” crashed and were drowned in the sea" of Corfu. A “ Blackburn “Kangaroo” manned by Sir Hubert Wilkins,” of Antarctic fame, with Lieuts. Williams, Garnett-Potts and Valdemar Rendle, came to grief in Crete and was abandoned by the crew on a beach at Suda Bay. Capt. Mathews and Sergt. Kay, flying a Sopwith “Wallaby,” crashed at Barli in Java. Lieut. Ray Parer and the late Capt. J. C. Macintosh were successful in getting through to Australia in an old D.H. “9” bought for them by Peter Dawson, the whisky distiller. They took the lengthy time of eight months, most of this time being spent on repair work. Ray Parer was actually a competitor in the big air race flying a Fairev Fox, but with bad ludk was forced to land off the coast of France. These airmen did not have the assistance of wireless and there were few good aerodromes. It is worthy of note that at every stopping place of the winners of the 1919 race there is now a well established ’drome on the Imperal Airways Far East route. On the day of the commencement of the race FlightLieut., now Wing Commander Wrigley, left Point (Cook, near Melbourne, in a BE2F for Darwin and the flight across Australia occupied twenty-nine days. Since this race the England-Australia route has been traversed by the following: Late Bert Hinkler, Cobham, late Capt. Lancaster, Mrs Keith Miller, Chichester, Piper and Kay, Miss Amy Johnson, Garden, K. Smith, C. W. A. Scott, Butler, Mollison, Jeffrey and Jenkins, R. T. Ricli- • ards, G. A. Hall, R. Allen, R. Herbert, Mrs Bouney, Ulm (-with Taylor and Allen). Derek Rownsley, Rubin and Waller, Miss Jean Batten, and Melrose. In addition an R..A.F. flying Squadron of flying boats have made the journey twice and the Imperial Aii-ways liner “Atalanta,” has travelled it once.