OUT OF THE BLUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20668, 13 September 1930, Page 8 (Supplement)

OUT OF THE BLUE.

Twenty-eight nations were represented at the fifth International Aeronautical Congress held at tho Hague from September 1 to 6.

Aviation Enthusiast: "Supposing this parachute fails to open ? " Salesman: "We guarantee them. Just return it, and we will immediately send you another freo of charge."

Three amateur pilots, Messrs. Bardsley, Annabel and Wedgwood, successfully accomplished an 8000 miles' flight round Australia in three Gipsy Moths. t There was no forced landing during the whole trip, and tho engiues behaved splendidly.

An aeroplano tour of the United States in which tho engine used only one gallon of petrol for every llj miles covered, was recently completed by two members of tho Curtiss-Wright Flying Service School's staff in a Cessna plane powered with a Wright Whirlwind motor.

Many foolish " stunts " have been perpetrated in tho name of aviation, but the height of absurdity was probably reached by tho American Guernsey Cattle Olub which, to advertise pure milk, recently placed a Guernsey cow in an aeroplane and flow it for one hour over Saint Louis during an aero exhibition.

A now record for air travel in northern Canada was achieved on a recent air mail flight between McMurray on the Athabaska River, 250 miles north of the Edmonton, and Aklavik in tlio delta of the Mackenzie Rivor, a distance of 1630 miles. The Commercial Airways machine made tha trip in llhr. smin. The old mail sorvico between these points took 73 days hy dog train in winter and 15 days by steamor in summer.

An attempt by two Gorman airmen, Wolf Hirth and Oscar Wellor, is boing mado to fly from Berlin to Chicago in a Klcmm light monoplane fitted with a 40 h.p. Salmson engine. They propose to fly easy stages via London, the Orkneys, Iceland, Greenland and Labrador, lierr Hirth, tho pilot, is a well-known glider expert and was one of the, founders of tho Gorman Gliding Association.

That moro people are using air transportation is indicated by (ho continually mounting figures of the traffic reports of American Airways, Incorporated, transport subsidary of tho Aviation Corporation. Tho latest report shows that 7708 passengers used tho air linos during tho month of June, an increase of 11 per cent, over the previous month. This is the largest numbor reported by any of the operators. Revenue increased 12 per cent, during tho samo period. During tho first six months of 1930, 34,959 passengers flow over tho various line of American Airways, almost a 70 per cent, increase over the 20,659 passengers carried the entire year of 1929.