FLIGHT TO INDIA

Northern Advocate, 4 October 1930, Page 9

FLIGHT TO INDIA

RlOl TO SET FORTH

DISTINGUISHED PERSONNEL.

EXPERIMENT A L JOURNE Y,

(British Official Wireless.) (Received 1.39 p.m.) RUGBY, October 3

Arrangements have been completed for airship RIOI to leave the mooring mast at Cardington tomorrow night on her flight to India. The vessel has the most passenger accommodation of any airship built, but in view of the experimental nature of airship flying in the tropics few will be carried on this trip. They will include the Air Alinister, Lord Thompson, the Director of Civil Aviation, Sir Sefton Brancker, Squadron-Leader Palstra of the Royal Australian Air Force, the designer of 8.1U.1, Colonel Richmond, Wing Commander Column and Major Scott.

The vessel carries a crew of five officers and 37 men, and the total number on board will be 53. FlightLieutenant Irwin is captain of the airship and Squadron-Leader Johnson is navigator on the outward journey. On high flight, the experimental part of the journey is between Ismailia and Karachi, where practically a constant following wind is expected. The most difficult stage of the whole flight will be from Karachi back to Ismailia, where an unfavourable wind current will have to be overcome on each section of the flight. From Cardington to Ismaila and from Ismailia to Karachi, four days’ rations will be carried. These will consist of two days’ ordinary rations, one day’s half rations and one day’s emergency rations. Lord Thompson hopes to complete the round trip by October 19, so that he may attend the Imperial Conference discussions on transport. The mooring of the vessel at Ismailia will be made the occasion of an air banquet, at which the Air and acting-High Commissioner in Egypt will entertain a number of guests in the spacious dining room of R-101.

A further message states that the passengers will include Lieut-Comman-der N. G. Atherstone, who served in airships in the war time. He retired in 1920 and went to reside in Australia, and then went to England. In 1927 ho was appointed to the airship works at Cardington; also, M. A. Giblett, a member of the Airship Alission, Australia. Lieut.-Commander H. W. Watt is Commander of the Karachi Airport. He served in airships in war time and later lived in New Zealand and then returned to take charge at Karachi in 1929.

LONE VOYAGERS,

AN INTERESTING ASPIRANT.

AfAN WHO DELUDED TURKS,

(Received 1.55 p.m.) LONDON, October 3

One of the ‘ most interesting aspirants in the lone flight to Australia is Flight-Lieut. C. W. Hill, who announces that he will take-off tomorrow in a light aeroplane. It is also announced that Major C. M. B. Bickthorne and Flying Officer Chabot will set out at t/ho same time in a Moth equipped with a Gipsy engine.

Flight-Lieutenant Hill is famous as one of the two officers who escaped from .a Turkish prison camp by an elaborate spiritualistic “Plot,” whose adventures are described in a book “The Road to Endor, ’’ Flight-Lieu-tenant Hill’s companion posed as- a medium, and so worked on the credulity of the Turkish commandant that ho became a slave to a treasure hunting scheme directed by spirits. The two officers simulated madness for many weeks, which cost them great physical and mental suffering.”