News Flashes About Air Race

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 247, 23 October 1934, Page 10

News Flashes About Air Race

Miss Jacqueline Cocliran (U.S.A.) spent £2OOO in laying down a fuel supply organisation on tlie route. Sho was to have changed pilots at Allahabad (Royal'Leanard to substitute for Wesley Smith). <•> <s> '<♦> <S» According to the rules nothing is said about the crew, except that “the pilot in charge must be carried throughout the race. <S> <r> <§> The Royal Aero Club’s jurisdiction of the race finishes at Koepang; the remainder of the course being under tho control of the Melbourne Centenary Committee. ❖ <S> <S> <s> What of tho handicap event? Only the experts can interpret tho formula and only tho race committee knows the real handicap values. Tho prize will go to tho piano with the greatest payload of passengors and freight in proportion to its speed and horse power. <s><s>' <s> <s> The difference in the time from London is adjusted at Singapore (7043 miles). Tho increase over G.M.T. will then be seven hours. <S> <S> <s> <s> Colonel James C, Eitzmaurice, who withdrew his Bellanea monoplane, was ono of tho members of tho crew of the German Bremen machine which made tho first cast to west crossing of the North Atlantic from Ireland to Labrador, six years ago,. <*> <S> <3- <S> On tho last hop across the water from Koepang to Darwin —precautions have been taken. A warship has been sent and the light path thrown from her searchlights will bo extended by lights mounted on every available lugger and junk of the North-west pearling fleet. <S> <s> <s> Pilots will bo medically examined at Darwin before they take off over what is considered to bo the most difficult section of the route. Many great aviators have been lost in tho Northern Territory and Queensland. A wireless direc-tion-finding service has been established at Gharlcvilla for those carrying radio equipment. ❖ <s> <s■ Pylons will mark tho extremities of tho finishing line—drawn immediately east and west through tho centre of Flemington racecourse. Machines will not land thero but, after crossing tho line, will go on to Essendon and other ’dromes (where pilots havo been instructed to land). <s><s> <5When tho late Sir Ross Smith and Sir Keith Smith won the England-Aus-tralia raco in 1919 it took 2S days’ flying. On that occasion the rules were left to tho pilots competing but a stipulation by Sir Macpherson Robertson (donor of prizes) for the present race was that safety should be ensured without unduly restricting competitors.

Hence the compulsory landings at live control points. <S> <S> <S> <»> Any aircraft which fails to complete the course within 1(5 days will be disqualified. A, gold medal is to bo presented to tho chief pilot of every aircraft reaching Melbourne in 1C days. Eight clear days after the finish of the raco is allowed for the lodging of any protest, <S> <t> <j> <S> Prize winners in the handicap section (£4OOO first and £IOOO second) may not be known until all tho entrants aro at Melbourne, or 16 days have elapsed. All prizes (tho speed raco carries £IO,OOO and a £650 gold cup for first, £ISOO second and £SOO third) will be presented by Princo Henry, Duke of Gloucester, at the aerial display at Lavcrton, on November 10. <S> <S> <S> <s> Each competitor has had to deposit a sum sufficient to cover petrol and oil costs with the oil companies in London, thus obviating the necessity of paying for supplies in Italian and Turkish lira, dinars, rupees or guilders. Pilots will merely sign dockets. ' <s> .<s> <s> <S> Naturally the England-Australia records with which wo aro most familiar are those made by Kingsford Smith (solo), 7 days 4hr 47min; by C. T. P. Ulm and crew in tho Faith in Australia, 6 days 17hr -lomin; or Miss Jean Batten (women's record), 141 days, and in the face of these record times two, three, or four days may seem ridiculous, but there are other distance records. <£<•><»> <J> The ■ - Pander mackino which competed in the race was flown by tho same pilots, Asjcs and Geysendorffer, over the 9000 miles from Amsterdam to Batavia in 45 flying hours (i.e., with rests and fuelling time deducted). London to Darwin, by the shortest routo through tho control points, is only 162 miles further. The Pander, with three Wright Whirlwinds (total 1200 h.p.) is fast, over 195 m.p.h. cruising speed, but it is by no means the fastest machino entered.