FLYING TO AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15499, 5 January 1914, Page 5

FLYING TO AUSTRALIA.

VEDRiNES ON HIS WAY.

NOW IN AFRICA.

Few people have awakened to the recognitor of the fact that a dapper little Frenchman is at the present time engaged in flying to Australia in an aeroplane, says the Sydney Daily Telegraph. He will only call at Australian ports en route, for his expressed intention is to circumnavigate the globe in his aerial crafta proposition so prodigious that few people -.nil readily give it credence. But the aviator is Jules Vediines. And among the men who have taken a. close interest in aviation it is realised that Vedrines is one of those ''sika- men who do things, letting babblers. tall the story." Besides, he has already accomplished a fair part of the jouriey— not only to snow that he is in .!3>L'nest, but also to establish the proud record _ of having flown over more countries' in Europe than any other aviator. Starting from Frai.ce, he has flown over Germany, Austria, Hungary, Se'r-ra, B".(Turkey, Tr - _li, Syria, aL.c Sgypt. lae \oute he has already overed works out it considerably over 3000 miles—which is ,'sily a record for long-distance flight across different countries. With such an a.spicious commencement, it is quite f "'.sible that the quiet, little Frenchman v. U achieve his grand objective, which is to fly back to his native Parii after the first aerial tour of the world. It is not difficult to imagine the reception which would by accorded to him by his enthusiastic countrymen— reception in which all nations of the world would cordially join. There was no flourish of trumpets when Vedrines started from his hangar outside Paris on December 2- Vedrines objects to publicity. For this purpose he had given out that he proposed a flight to Rhems, a distance of about 80 miles. Only his brother was aware of the tremendous project that Vedrines had entered upon. The machine he used was a Bleriot' of a type considerably in advance of that in which the inventor had crossed the Channel. With the farewell wishes of his ■bro\:.ar and the. mechanics, the latter beint; unaware of his objective, be sailed up 'nto the sky to start upon his long journey. After crossing the French border into Germany his mighty plans nearly came to grief, for while he was passing over a fortress at Valadinei, on the Danube, at a height of 4000 ft, the garrison evidently imagined that ha was an international spy. Guns were fired at him. His monoplane was uninjured, but the concussion of the shots was tremendous, and the machine nearly capsized. He recounted this experience when he reached Belgrade,, and ho added that ho promptly ascended to a height of 9000 ft, where he was, of course, out of range of the missiles. From thence onward very little information has filtered through as to the doings of that plucky little Frenchman. He arrived at Sofia on December 5, and thence flew to Constantinople, then to Konieh, and thence across the Mediterranean Sea to Tripoli. It is only from the last-named place that any news as to his experiences has reached civilisation, and that consists merely of his remark that when crossing the Taurus Mountains in Asia Minor the temperature recorded was IS degrees belcw zero.

Up to this point Vedrines had maintained silence as to the great objective he had placed before himself. He now announced, without any evidence of bravado or boast-fulness, that he intended to encircle the globe. He said he would first fly through Egypt, and would then cross over ' India to Singapore, m. the ' Straits SfWtejf.ertts, i-dlius; ,fe rhe Island ox Ceylon ■M the way. From Singapore he wit: fly to §•> -latra and Ba' a via and then shoot acr''*- ♦/> t.he west ,rn coast of Australia (probably landing t Derby, W.A.). Afior viai'kg Perth he wJI %'across the coniintJkt to Melbourne, and thence to Sydney, The way in which he speaks of thee?, long flights serves to show the degree in which the aeroplane has annihilated distance.

From Sydney, so Vsdrincs announced, he will take a steamer to South America, and then Sy along the Pacific Coast to Panama and New Orleans, whence he will again take steamer for Lisbon. -From the Portuguese capital he will once more mount his monoplane and fly back home to Paris, having completed the circuit of the globe. Cable messages received last week announced that be had reached Cairo. Further news of his journey will be keenly watched.