EMPIRE FLIGHT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 3 October 1936, Page 7

EMPIRE FLIGHT

ENGLAND TO NEW ZEALAND MISS BATTEN’S ATTEMPT TO LOWER OWN RECORD LEAVING ON MONDAY (United Press Association—By Electric ‘telegraph—Copyright) (Received 3rd October, 9.50 a.m.) LONDON, 2nd October. Miss. Jean Batten will probably leave at dawn on Monday from Hatfield Aerodrome in an attempt to make a record flight from England to Australia, continuing to New Zealand, Two extra petrol tanks have been installed in the Percival Gull, which will give well over a 1300 miles range. Miss Batten will carry a letter from Mr W. J. Jordan, New Zealand High Commissioner, to the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, Prime Minister. She hopes it will be the quickest delivery on record in the longest Empire flight. She is limiting her halt at Sydney to a very short period.

A HAPPY MOMENT

WHEN HOME COUNTRY IS REACHED i FOLLOWING PREVIOUS ROUTE (Received 3rd October, 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, 2nd October. Miss Batten told the Associated Press: “I hope to break my record of 338 hours of 1934. I will follow the same route and will use the machine in which I flew to South America. It is just a year old, but is running as sweetly as ever. lam looking forward to seeing- my home country again. You do not know how much I long for a glimpse of the New Zealand countryside and New Zealand faces. I know it will be a happy moment.” Miss Batten confessed that the preparations for the trip had imposed an immense strain, especially the fuel arrangements. She was likely to be charged six shillings a gallon for petrol in Italy. She plans to stay a short time in Sydney for an overhaul of the machine before taking off for New Plymouth, from where she hopes to go on to Auckland. Mrs Batten plans to follow in a steamer a few weeks after seeing her daughter take off on her record dash. Conspicuously painted on the rudder plane is a large New Zealand flag. Since the Atlantic hop, the plane has been also fitted with a self starter.