TASMAN FLIGHT TAKE-OFF

Northern Advocate, 18 October 1935, Page 6

TASMAN FLIGHT TAKE-OFF

LEFT AT 5.30 A.M. TO-DAY

RISKY PETROL MARGIN ’PLANE NAMED “ZEALANDIA” £United Preps Association—By Electric Telegraph. — Copyright.] (Received 10 a.m.) SYDNEY. October 17. ,]j|£R W. M. O’Hara (Pilot X.) took off at 5.30 a.m. today on his flight to New Zealand. He hoped to arrive in New Zealand about 3.30 this afternoon. Made a Good Start, ; Should anything go wrong, however, to delay him on the flight, he has sen! ' a message to the New Plymouth aerodrome- asking that flares be lit. He is expected by officials at New Plymouth to reach there about 5.30. The airman made a good take-off. He carries sufficient petrol for 13 hours flying and hopes to complete .the trip in eleven hours, thereby breaking the record established by Mr C. T. P. Ulm. The weather conditions for the flight are reported to be favourable. He took a rubber boat, an'd emergency rations, but no radio. ' Range of 13 Hours. After telephone conversations yesterday with the Controller of Civil Aviation, Captain E. C. Johnston, in Melbourne, Mr O’Hara said he expected the authorities to allow him to fly to New Zealand if his plane was not overloaded. Without overloading, he will have a range of 13 flying hours. He had hoped to carry enough petrol for 18 hours, in case of head winds or deviations from his course. He thought he could reach New Zealand in 11 hours, but some margin was essential. The flier said his reason for desiring to be anonymous was that , his mother, who is in New Zealand, would be worried during the flight. If •he accomplishes the return Tasman flight, Mr O’Hara 'proposes to fly to Perth, then round North-West Australia, and across, the Tiipor Sea, and home to Java. . . He has named his aeroplane Zealandia, which, he says, embodies the sentiment he feels towards his native New Zealand, and also pays a tribute to the Dutch. ' 110 Gallons of Petrol. It now appears that Mr O’Hara, loaded 110 gallons of petrol last night, whereupon the department cancelled his certificate of airworthiness for the flight. This precluded the official takeoff from the Government aerodrome, and Mr O’Hara signed the log indicating that he would land on Gerringong Beach, having been informed that the machine would be impounded unless, this course was adopted. It has not yet been ascertained whether he complied with the formality of ... touching the wheels on the ground df Gerringong. His 110 gallons will give him 20 per cent, safety margin, equivalent to a good four hours over the estimated time required for the trip. No reports have been received in , Sydney or New Zealand concerning Mr O’Hara’s progress on his Tasman flight. TERMINUS NOT DEFINITE NEW PLYMOUTH OR AUCKLAND. tPer Press Association.—Copyright.'] NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day. It is understood that Mr O’Hara will land at New Plymouth. The time of his arrival will depend entirely upon weather conditions. Should he be forced off his course northwards, and decide to make for Auckland, all preparations for his landing at Aerodrome have been completed. THE FLIER’S HISTORY INTERESTING CAREER [Special to “Northern Advocate/’] WARKWORTH, This Day. Walter Martin O’Hara, a New Zealander, is. the eldest son of Mrs. M. O’Hara, of Warkworth, and the late Mr. Patrick O’Hara, of Wharepoa, Thames Valley. He is 37 years of age and received his early education at the Kopu public school, and later studied at the Sydney University. Re saw service during the Great War with the machine gun corps, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, enlist- __ ing as a private, and later being pro- * mpted to commissioned rank after a course of training at Trinity College, Cambridge, England. Since the war, Mr. O’Hara has been residing at Dampit, Java, where he has interests in tea and coffee plantations. About a year ago he visited New Zealand on leave, and, prior to his departure for Australia last February, he spent some weeks with his mother and brother-in-law, Mr. Mclntyre, manager of the Bank of New Zealand, Warkworth. " ' Mrs. O’Hara stated today that' although her son was a regular correspondent, he had never mentioned his intention to fly across the Tasman. The intimation of her son’s proposed hazardous undertaking was gleaned from press cables, and naturally caused alarm and no little anxiety. Mrs. O’Hara said that her son had always been particularly keen on aviation, and had gained considerable flying experience in the East and in Australia. FLIERS’ PROGRESS (Received 10 a.m.) RANGOON, October 17. 1 Pilots O. Thomas and F. Maguire arrived at Rangoon and left for Calcutta. Flying-Officer Littlejohn, of Sydney, and' his wife, who left Southampton on October 1 on a honeymoon flight to Australia, arrived from Calcutta and left for Alor Star. KINGSFORD SMITH EMPRISE WEIGHT REGULATION WASHINGTON GRANTS REQUEST. (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, October 19. Washington has agreed to the Air Ministry’s request, on behalf of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, for a permit for the employment of a racing Wasp engine ‘ and a total weight of 52001b5, subject to conformation with certain technical requirements. American consent was necessary for the granting of a certificate for the famous Australian’s contemplated record flight to Australia.

"UP THE POLE:!"