FLIGHT TO THE CAPE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 29, 5 January 1931, Page 7

FLIGHT TO THE CAPE

CAPTAIN BARNARD BADLY .. SHAKEN. ’PLANE SINKS IN BOGGY GROUND. FLIERS RETURNING TO ENGLAND. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received January 5, 8.5 a.m. TUNIS, Jan. 4. Captain Barnard, the noted airman, and Lord Lovelace, who were flying to Capetown from England, met with a mishap near Tripoli, after leaving Tunis. They were badly shaken. The airmen and the mechanic, an American, wero admitted to the hospital. Captain Barnard has informed the Central News Agency that the accident was due to the machine sinking in the boggy ground. There had been sixteen days’ rain. The ’plane is not badly damaged, but it will be impossible to continue the journey with the machine. Captain Barnard, Lord Lovelace and the mechanic are returning to England by. steamer.

NEW YORK TO PARIS,

MACHINE FORCED TO TURN

BACK

NORFOLK (Virginia) Jan. 3.. A damaged sextant, and a shift in the wind encountered within a few miles of Bermuda, caused the failure of the first attempted “pay-load” aeroplane flight from New York to Paris. The machine was forced to turn back, and landed on Saturday night at the Hampton Roads naval station. It had taken off from New York fifteen hours before, and had flown approximately 1500 miles. Mrs Beryl Hart, a red-haired widow, aged 27, who is one of the few women, holding an unlimited transport license, and Lieutenant William MacLaren, formerly a navy fler, took off from New York to-day in the 'plane Trade Wind with a pay load, to prove that ocean flying can be put on a paying commercial basis. Their goal was Paris, via Bermuda and the Azores.

Lieutenant MacLaren was at the controls, but Mrs Hart expected to replace him after the start, and do the bulk of the piloting. They planned to stop three hours at Hamilton (Bermuda), and hoped to reach Paris within 50 hours. The cargo is destined for stamp collectors along the way. The ship is a black and white Bellanca monoplane, similar to the Columbia, and fitted with a 300 horsepower YVriglit Whirlwind motor, and a pontoon. There is no radio apparatus. The New York Times’s Norfolk (Virginia) correspondent states that the Trade Wind, after reaching a distance believed to be only 75 miles from Bermuda, was compelled to return, and landed this evening. The damage to the sextant made further navigation uncertain. She will refuel to-morrow and resume the journey.