FLIGHT TO JAPAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20921, 10 July 1931, Page 11

FLIGHT TO JAPAN.

ATTEMPT TO WIN PRIZE.

REFUELLING EN ROUTE.

AMERICANS REACH ALASKA. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received July 9, 9.45 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 9. A message frorg, Seattle says Mr. R. L. Robbins and Mr. H. S. Jones, flying the monoplane Fort Worth, took off at 3.57 a.m. yesterday for Tokio via British Columbia and Alaska.

The refuelling plane, with two other Texans, Messrs. Mattern and Nicke Greener, arrived at Fairbanks on Tuesday from Texas. The Fort Worth arrived at Fairbanks at 7.33 p.m. after a journey of 17 hours 36 minutes from Seattle. She made contact with the refuelling aeroplane at an altitude of 1000 ft., and took on board 200 gallons of petrol. Both machines then flew westward down the Tanan Valley. The refuelling machine will probably land at Solomon for more petrol, and then accompany the Fort Worth to Siberia for the second refuelling.

The fliers hope to reach Tokio on Friday morning. The Fort Worth is a Lockheed-Vega machine, with a Wright motor of 225 horse-power, which has been run 1200 hours. The monoplane has been flown for 55 hours. The airmen purchased it second-hand. Its cruising speed is 95 miles an hour. It is not equipped with radio.

Mr. Jones is navigator and Mr. Bobbins pilot, but Mr. Jones will take the controls occasionally. The refuelling machine is a tri-motored Ford. The Fort Worth will refuel at Fairbanks, Solomon and in Siberia.

The weather for the first part of the route was ideal. The distance of the flight is 5100 miles. The akmen fy>pe to win the prize of £SOOO offered by the Japanese newspaper Asaki. Mr. Robbins holds a commission as colonel in the National Guard of Texas. He taught himself to fly eight years ago, and set a refuelling endurance record in 1929. His age is 28. He is married and has a son eight years old. Mr. Jones is a Texas oilman, who j joined Mr. Robbins for the excitement of the flight. He is a single man.