Jean Batten to Starf To-day

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 235, 5 October 1936, Page 7

Jean Batten to Starf To-day

On England-RZ. Flight OUT FOR RECORD United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. LONDON, Oct. 8. Miss Jean Batten, the New Zealand aviatrix, will probably leave at dawn on Monday from Hatfield Aerodrome to attempt a record flight to New Zealand. , Two extra petrol tanks which have been installed in her Percival Gull machine will give a range of well over I3UO miles. Miss Batten will carry a letter from the New Zealand High Commissioner, Mr. W. J. Jordan, for the Prime Minister, the fit. Hon. M. ,1. Savage, which she hopes will constitute the quickest delivery on record. It will be the longest Empire flight. The aviatrix will mane her halt at Sydney as short as possible. Machine Running Well. “I hope to break my record of If days Z hours in 1934," Miss Batten iurormed the Australian Associated Press agency. “1 shall follow the same route, and use the machine in which 1 flew to South America, it is just a year old, out is running as sweetly as ever, i am looking forward to seeing my home country again. ¥ou don't Know how muck i long for a glimpso of the Now Zealand countryside and tko faces 1 know. It will bo a happy moment." She confessed that preparations for the trip imposed an immense strain, especially the fuel arrangements. Shi. was likely to bo charged. Os a gallon foxpetrol in Italy. She plans to stay tx short time in Sydney for overhaul of the machine before taking oil for New Plymouth, from where she hopes to go on to Auckland. Conspicuously painted on the rudder of the aeroplane is a large New Zealand flag. Since the Atlantic hop the aeroplane has also been fitted with a self-starter. Mrs. Batten plana to follow by steamer a few weeks after teeing her daughter take off. Honoured by Pilots’ Guild. Miss Jean Batten has been awarded the Johnston Memorial Silver Plaque by the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators of the Empire, in recognition oi her eighth xltlantic hop. Miss Jean Batten flow tho South Atlantic in November last year, using the same machine as she will employ for her coming attempt, ft has a range of filUO miles and a cruising speed or 150 miles an hour. Her time for that flight was 13 hours 15 minutes. Hex uxglit from England to Australia, mads axter several laxiures, one oi which occurred at .Karachi, and another neax itorne, was completed in May, 1034. ft iooK 15 days and lettered Miss Amy uounson’s time of loj days. Tho machine in winch this fligut oi Miss Batten was inado was live years old, witn a cruising speed of 30 miles an hour, and a range m still air of 1100 miles.