A vies Record Flight To N.Z.

Northern Advocate, 26 August 1946, Page 4

A vies Record Flight To N.Z.

(Special) PALMERSTON N., This Day. The RAF Lancaster Aries, which landed at Ghakea on Saturday, beat the England-New Zealand record by 53 minutes. The time of the flight was 59 hours 50 minutes. The Aries left the Blackbush airfield. near Cambcrley, England, at 12.39 GMT, on Wednesday last. According to officials -at Ohakea the record time is calculated from the take-oil' at Blackbush until the plane arrived over the centre of the Ohakea airfield at 12.29 p.m. 'Die actual flying time was 55 hours 29 minutes. PLANE’S CREW Cn the Aries was Air Commodore N. H. D'Ath. officer in charge cf the mission, and the crew was as follows: Squadron Leader J. E. Aldridge, captain of the aircraft; Flight-Lieutenant D. D. Hurditch. second pilot, who is an Australian; Squadron Leader J. G. Messenger, first navigator and deputycommander of the mission; Squadron Leader J. J. McDowell, second navigator, of Christchurch, the only New Zealander: Flight-Lieutenant J. A. Woof, third navigator; Flying-Officer T. IT. Graham, first wireless operator; Flight-Sergeant L. K. Dotson, second wireless operator: Flying-Officer R. M. Cooke, in charge cf maintenance; Flight-Sergeant A. E. C. Brookin, fitter; and Sergeant R. M. Slowe, radar maintenance.

OBJECTS OF VISIT On arrival, the crew was greeted by Air Commodore S. Wallingford, of the Air Department, and Mr T. A. Barrow. Air Secretary. Group Captain Stapleton, representative of the British Air Ministry on the Aries, said that one of the objects of the visit was to tell something of food conditions in England. lie read a message to the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) from the British Minister of Food (Mr John Straclvey). A large crowd at Ohakea watched the arrival of the aircraft. The landing was made without incident and the Lancastrian taxied to a roped-off space in front of the hangars where she will later be open for inspection to the public. The crew had their first real meal since leaving England on the Ohakea station. They had been forewarned about New Zealand’s meat and butter rationing and showed decided interest in the suggestion of surrendering meat and butter coupons in the "Food for Britain” campaign by'those who wished to inspect the aircraft. MISHAP IN CEYLON Disaster nearly overtook the Aries at (he Negornbo aerodrome, Ceylon, when, heavily-laden, but airborne, she struck a palm tree at the end of the runway.

'This mishap tore away the radar setinning equipment attached to the underside of the plane, and hasty repairs were made to the fuselage at Darwin, but the equipment itself lias not yet been repaired. Icing conditions made a detour around the Alps by way of Marseilles unavoidable. On its hop to Bombay, the Aries could not obtain enough ceiling to fly over the top of India because the monsoon was encountered and this necessitated another detour to Negornbo, Ceylon. “Otherwise, the flight was pleasant enough, but the Tasman crossing was a bit bumpy.” said Air Commodore D’Ath. The Australian coast was left north of Brisbane at 7.15 a.m., New Zealand time, and the Wanganui river-mouth was reached at 12.22 p.m. This Tasman crossing in five hours seven minutes was near the record.