ADVENTUROUS AIRMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19916, 9 April 1928, Page 9

ADVENTUROUS AIRMEN.

FIFTY PENDING FLIGHTS. OCEANS AND TWO POLES. 4 WO ROUND WORLD EFFORTS. By Teleprapb—Press Association—Copyright. (Received April 7, 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z.-Sun. LONDON. April 6. A despatch from Paris says this year will be a prolific one for flight adventures. Experts have tabulated a list of 50 covering journeys to the North and South Poles, encircling the globe, defying the Atlantic, and two attempts to fly across 'the Pacific. In addition there will be attempts at the long-distance record. The outlay on- these flights will be enormous. The craze to conquer the Atlantic has spread to two Polish men who are . having special machines built. Also an Italian, Signor Sabelli, proposes to undertake the more hazardous effort of a flight from Rome to New York. Despatches from New York state that plans for an attempt to encircle tbo earth in 34 days next summer in a specially, designed aeroplane have been disclosed by Lieutenant George Pond, of the United States Navy, who is now at, Modesto, California. The details have not been revealed, but it is understood that Captain Kingsford Smith, the Australian airman, will probably bo Lieutenant Pond's companion. Another American airman, Lieutenant Bert Hail, announces that he will attempt to make a solo non-stop aeroplane flight across the Pacific, from Seattle, Washington to Tokio, Japan, late in April or in May. If ho is successful he will continue on arbund tho world in an attempt to lower the existing record. For the past five years Lieutenant Hall has been engaged in aviation in Japan. GERMANS IN IRELAND. ACTIVITY AT AERODROME. FREE STATE AIR CHIEF GOING. (Received April 7, 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, April 7. Then is renewed activity at the Baldonnel aerodrome, Ireland, in consequence of reports of good weather in the Atlantic. Commandant Fitzmaurice, chief of the Irish Free State Air Force, has received permission to acccmpany the- Germans, Hcrr Koehl and Baron Gunther von Huelinefeld, on their attempted flight to New York. He will replace the mechanic, Spindler, who ha-s returned to Germany. Commandant Fitzmaurice was rejected early in the war on account of his youth, but he succeeded in enlisting and fought on the Somme. He obtained a commission and was transferred to the Royal Air Force in 1917. He joined the Irish Free State Air Force in 1922. CAPETOWN TO CAIRO. LADY HEATH'S RECORDS. FLIGHT IN LIGHT MACHINE. United Service. LONDON, April 6. Lady Heath, flying in a light aeroplane, has arrived at Cairo. She has thus established threo records. She is tho first woman to have flown through Africa, the first to fly in a light plane from the Cape to Cairo, and the first to make a solo flight over that route. The machine is identical with that in which Captain Lancaster and Mrs. Miller flew to Australia. FLIGHTS IN ARCTIC. GENERAL NOBILI'S PLANS. EXPLORATION ENTERPRISE. A. and N.Z. BERLIN, April 6. Two members of the Italian Air Force have arrived at Stolp, Pomerania, to prepare a landing place for General Nobili's airship. The general has abandoned his plan of crossing the Alps and proceeding to Milan and Fiume, thence northward. The explorers now propose to remain in the Arctic for three months. Their first flight will be eastward to Franz Josef Land, then to Lenin Land, 800 miles from Svelbard (Spitsbergen). The second flight will be to the North Pole, where they will explore bofli the east and the west. The third flight will be northward to Greenland to exploro that portion of the Arctic where land is supposed to bo but the existence of which is doubtful. SIR ALAN COBHAM. SURVEY IN SOUTH AFRICA. DEPARTURE FROM CAPETOWN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 6. Sir Alan Cobham, who is engaged in a great survey flight round Africa, has left Capetown northwards for Luderitz Bay. NEW SAFETY DEVICE. GUIDE IN FOG AND RAIN. SUCCESSFUL FRENCH TESTS. (Received April 7, 5.5 p.m.) A .and N.Z. LONDON. April 6. The Paris correspondent of the Morning Post says very successful tests have been made at Farman's aerodrome of new and delicate inlruments. These arc affixed to the dashboard of a piano and are designed to guide the pilot when ho is flying in fog or rain. For the purpose of the experiment the cockpit was completely covered, vet while a pilot was stunting the instruments showed exactly how far he was from the earth and what the aeroplane's angle was to it.