RECORD FLIGHT HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20893, 8 June 1931, Page 9

RECORD FLIGHT HOME.

SCOTT'S ACHIEVEMENT.

TIME UNDER 11 DAYS.

HARD GOING ALL THE WAY

WORN OUT ON ARRIVAL.

By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received June 7. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 6. Flying-Officer C. W. Scott reached Lympne, Kent, from Brindisi yesterday and so established a new record for the flight from Australia to England. He left Wyndham, Western Australia, on May 26. The prior record for the homeward journey was held by Air-Commodore Kingsford Smith, of 12 days 21 hours, which Mr. Scott beat by 48 hours. Tho airman accomplished the whole flight in face of very difficult conditions, lie crossed tho Channel in a storm. When he climbed down from the cockpit he was dazed and drawn and haggard and was suffering badly from cramp and deafness. ITis faco was blistered by tho heat of the engine. Mr. Scott admitted that he was glad it was all over. Ho said: " It is too far." lie considered this homeward flight the better effort, owing to the breaking monsoons. After he had passed Aleppo there was no word of the airman until yesterday, when he telegraphed to his father stating that he had arrived at Brindisi and expected to reach Lympne that night. Flying-Officer Scott left Wyndham in a Moth aeroplane on May 26 at 5 a.m. local lime. He was accompanied by the Dutch air-liner Abel Tasman. His progress was as follows: — May 27, reached Batavia; May 30, reached Calcutta; May 31, reached Jodh pur; June 3, departed from Bagdad; Juno 4, reached Brindisi; June 5, reached Lympne. The course he proposed to take was Batavia, Singapore, Victoria Point, Rangoon, Akyab, Calcutta, Allahabad, Karachi, Jask, Bushire, Basra, Bagdad, Aleppo, Constantinople, Sofia, Belgrade and Vienna. He did not intend to stop at all those places and he proposed to do a considerable amount of night flying. On his record-breaking outward flight he left England on April 1, at 4.55 a.m., and reached Darwin at 5.50 p.m. on April 10. Mr. Scott was born in Queensland. His father now lives at Colchester. Flights between England and Australia have now been made as follows : November-December, 1919.—Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith, in stages, England to Australia, a total distance of 11,295 miles, in 124 flying hours. January 8-August 2, 1920.—Lieutenants R. J. Parer and J. C. Mcintosh. England to Australia. June-October, 1926. —Sir Alan Cobham, return flight, 28,000 miles in 230 flying hours. October, 1927-March, 1928.- Captain W. N. Lancaster and Mrs. Keith Mailer. England to Australia. February, 1928. Mr. Bert Hinkler, total distance, 10,340 miles, in 15J, days. March 19-May 18, 1929. Flight-Lie-utenant S. J. Moir and Flving-Officer 11. Owen. England to Australia. June-July, 1929. Squadron - Leader Kingsford Smith, Flight-lieutenant C. T. P. tJlm, T. H. McWilliams and H. A. Litchfield, in Southern Cross, Australia to England, 10,500 miles, in 12 days 12j,hours. December 20, 1929, January 26, 1930. — Mr. F. C. Chichester, of Wellington, New Zealand. England to Australia. February 9-March 24, 1930.—FlyingOfficers H. L. Piper and C. Kay. England to Australia. May 5-24, 1930. —Miss Amy Johnson, England to Australia, 19 days. September 16-October 18, 1930.—Captain F. J. Matthews. England to Australia. October 5-December 10.— Flight-Lie-utenant C. W. Hill. England to Australia, delayed by crash on Timor Island, October 18. October 9-19, 1930. Air-Commodore Kingsford Smith. England to Australia, 10 days 2h 10m. (Record to date.) October 17-November 4, 1930. —Mr. Oscar Garden. England to Australia, 19 days. April 1-10. —Flying-Ofßcer C. W. Scott, England to Australia, 9 days 12h 45m. (New record.) May 26-June 5, 1931.—Flying-Officer C. W. Scott, Australia to England, 10 days 21 hours. (New record.)