A RECORD FLIGHT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 313, 2 December 1933, Page 4

A RECORD FLIGHT

LENGTH OF DOMINION. ONE DAY’S JOURNEY. Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Dec. 1. An aviation record for New Zealand was established to-day by Mr E. F. Harvie, of Auckland, a member of the Western Federated (N. 1.) Flying Club, who was accompanied by Miss Trevor Hunter, of Wanganui, on a flight from Cape Maria Van Diemen to Bluff in a De Havilland Gipsy Moth aeroplane. The distance covered on the flight tota.lled 1168 miles, and the actual flying time was 16 hours 10 minutes. Mr. Harvie, who arrived here at 7.57 p.m., left Kaitftia in darkness at 2 o’clock this morning for the Cape, and, after circling over the lighthouse, headed south on his long flight. Stops were made at Ruawai, Auckland, Hawera, Wellington, Kailtoura, Christchurch, Dunedin, i#kl Invercargill. Conditions generally were . good throughout the flight, but the flyers found it much colder coming 'down the South Island. The flight was the longest yet made in New Zealand in a. day, the previous best being a journey by Squadron-Leader M. C. McGregor from Invercargill to Auckland on November 12, 1931. Mr Harvie said that the success of the flight was mainly due to the machine and ground organisation. He commented on the celerity with which he. was attended to at different landing grounds. The pair wero very tired on their arrival here, but wero delighted with their outstanding achievement, for Mr Harvie the realisation of a longcherished ambition.

Mr Harvie, who was wearing no helmet, and using the Western Federated Club’s Moth Zlv-ABP, arrived at Rongotai Airpqrt at 11.40 a.m., and depart, ed for Chirstchurcli at 12.10 p.m. He said that he had encountered bad conditions from Wanganui southward. There was a strong south-easterly wind blowing and Mr Harvie seriously considered abandoning his attempt. On telephoning Chrischurch, however, he found tlmt the weather there was clear, and decided to continue his flight. Mr Harvie is the son of Rev. F. G. Harvie, of Auckland, and a former student of Auckland University College. Ho toured New Zealand as a member of Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith’s party at the beginning of the year, and qualified for his pilot’s A endorsed license at New Plymouth, and recently made an attempt on the altitude record. He intends adopting aviation as his career. Miss Hunter was trained at Wanganui. She holds a pilot’s A license and has done about' 20 hours’ solo flying.