BACK IN ENGLAND

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 82, 5 March 1938, Page 3

BACK IN ENGLAND

FLYING-OFFICER CLOUSTON. LONDON, Feb. 20. The Comet aeroplane, with FlyingOfficer Clonston at the controls, and Mr R. J. Cross, engineer, as passenger, arrived at Gravesend from Cyprus at 5.20 p.m. yesterday. Mr Cross will immediately begin his overhaul of the machine in order to got it ready for another attempt by Mr Clonston to fly to New Zealand and back in 10 days. On present reckoning tbe Comet should be ready to take off in three weeks. A Vega Gull, piloted by Mr Max Henslmw, carrying Mr Victor Ricketts, Mr Clouston’s co-pilot, a mechanic, and a Sydney Daily Telegraph representative, took off an hour before the Comet. When the Comet landed at Nicosia, Cyprus, with a. punctured tyre, and was damaged, Mr Hensb.aw flew Mr Cross and. the mechanic from London to effect temporary repairs. The Comet overtook tho Gull 7000 feet over the Mediterranean and, after an exchange of signals, flew on to Brindisi, where it landed for re-fuel-ling. The Comet was carrying little petrol so ns not to over-tax the repaired under-carriage. When the Comet landed} direct from Brindisi, Mr Clonston said: “The whole of France was under a fog. »md the only thing I saw was the-Eiffel Tower sticking up.”