NO NEWS OF AIRMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19797, 18 November 1927, Page 11

NO NEWS OF AIRMEN.

THE FLIGHT TO INDIA.

CLOUDS, MIST AND RAIN. PLANE PROBABLY HIDDEN. BISKS ON NEW ROUTE, SHOULD BE NEAR OOAL. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received November 17, 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Nov. 17. No news of any kind has heen received in England of Captain R. H. Mcintosh and Mr. Bert Hinkler since they left the Upavon Aerodrome in Wiltshire on Tuesday on their attempted non-stop flight to India. According to advices received by the Air Ministry, before the airmen .started, they intended to follow the "great circle" route—Berlin, Warsaw, Odessa, Afghanistan and across the Himalayas—which is entirely a new route to India. On that course the plane would pass over great tracts of country, uninhabited except possibly by hostile tribes, and consisting of hilly ground unsuitable for landing. At dawn to-day the airmen expected to climb the high pass over the dangerous Himalayas and enter India. The piano carried sufficient petrol to last until noon to-day. Clouds, mist and rain are reported along tho route. These conditions have probably prevented observers seeing (lie plane. Three previous attempts have been made this year by British airmen to make a non-stop flight from England to India. On each occasion the pilot was Flight Lieutenant C. R. Carr, a New Zealander, but each time he had a different companion. The first attempt was made in May, with Lieutenant Gillman. The airmen were compelled to descend in the Persian Gulf after having flown 3425 miles in a Hawker-Horsley plane. Illluck attended Lieutenant Carr on his second attempt. This was made in a similar type of machine on June 17 in company with Flight Lieutenant Mackworth. ' They took-off from the Cranwell Aerodrome in Lincolnshire, but had only down 85 miles when they were forced down at Martlesham Heath, in Suffolk. Lieutenant Carr made, a wonderful landing with the heavily laden machine. Undaunted by his non-success the plucky New Zenlander set out again on Aueust 1 with Flight Lieutenant Dearth. This time he got no further than Austria, his machine crashing at Somerherg, both he and his companion being slightly injured.