World Flight

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 64, 17 March 1937, Page 5

World Flight

Mrs Earhart-Putnam’s Start Delayed UNFAVOURABLE WEATHER REPORT, United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—CopyrightReceived Tuesday, 8 p.m. OAKLAND (California), March 15. A storm forced a second postponement of Mrs. Amelia Earhart-Putnam’s world flight. The forecast said that a depression area was slowly moving westward and advised that the aviatrix should wait until Wednesday. Mrs. Earhart-Putnam said her preparations were complete, and she intends to start as soon as the weather clears. She now expects to depart from Oakland, instead of San Francisco. EMPIRE AIR ROUTES. SERVICE WITHIN A YEAR EXPECTED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 15. Reviewing in the House of Commons developments in British external civil air communications, tho Under-Secre-tary for Air, Sir Philip Sassoon, said that tho present scheme should IA in working order at the beginning of 1938, after which all first-class mail from the United Kingdom to Empire countries on the Empire air routes would be carried by air for a flat rate of per half-ounce, that being the current pre ferential Empire postage rate. Mean while, it was hoped that a start would be made on the Durban route in the early summer of this year aud on the Singapore route at the end of the year. The complete scheme, he said, aimed at providing flying-boat services on routes to South Africa, India, and Australia, with certain additional landplane services to India, ail operated by the new Empire aircraft. Arrangements were being made for fewer services iu connection with all routes. Concerning the proposed North Atlantic service, the formidable task of pro viding tho necessary ground organisa ton and equipment was being actively pursued, and bases for both land and marine aircraft were in hand by the Governments concerned. As regards aircraft, three main lines of trans Atlantic development were in hand. Four-engined high-speed land machines were on point of completion, and witli them it was hoped to operate an experimental service before the end of this year. A fleet of specially designed flying-boats should be available in the course of 1938. The possibility ot catapulting long-range flying-boats was being actively investigated. Meanwhile long-range training flights had begun with two flying-boats of the Empire type. Among new British external services introduced in 1936 were a weekly mail service between Khartoum and Kano and Lagos, and a temporary service bo tween Penang and Hong Kong pending completion of arrangements for a per inanent connection from Hong Kong to the Empire trunk routes. It was expected that the Bermuda-New York service would commence operations during the present year. CHRISTMAS ISLAND SOVEREIGNTY QUESTION AMERICA AND BRITAIN. ' - LONDON, March 15. American reports say that British moves to perfect the sovereignty of Christmas Island have aroused speculation whether, in connection with the trans-Pacifie air service, the United States might dispute its ownership following the British sloop Leith recently leaving Fiji with equipment for the erection of a wireless station on the island. It is understood that Britain regards the island as hers, based on Captain Cook’s discovery on Christmas Eve, 1777. The employees of a British company which is exporting copra aro the present occupants under an 87 years’ lease from 1914 which Britain has no present intention of disturbing. Tho Australian Association Press Agency is informed that Britain has neither received nor made representations to the United States in connection with Christmas Island. DARWIN TO AFRICA AMBITIOUS FLIGHT PLANNED . SYDNEY, March 16. Mrs. Bouney, a Queensland aviatrix, who was the first woman to fly from Australia to England, will leave Darwin on April 13th on a 14,000 mile solo flight to Africa. The route will be from Darwin to Ivoepang, then through Java, Singapore, Bangkok, Rangoon, Calcutta, Benares, Delhi, Karachi, Bushire, Baghdad and Cairo, and then via Nairobi, Tanganyika, Pretoria and Johannesburg to Capetown. The flight, which has not previously been attempted, will be made in a German Klemm Monoplane.