TURKS AND AIRMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21076, 9 January 1932, Page 9

TURKS AND AIRMEN.

MOLLISON'S EXPERIENCE. DETAINED AND DESPOILED. NEW CAPE FLIGHT PLANNED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received January 8, 8.45 p.m.) Times Cable. LONDON, Jan. 8. The aeronautical correspondent of the Times says Mr. J. A. Mollison has returned to England, lie will start upon a new attempt on the Cape record at the end of this month. The airman proposes to fly non-stop to Brindisi, a distance of 1200 miles, thence non-stop to Khartoum, 1250 miles, after whicli he will follow the usual route. This should enable him to do the journey in 102 hours, or one day inside Miss Peggy Salaman's time. Mr, Mollison says he has planned this rout© in order to avoid Turkey, over which country he has no wish to fly again after his experiences at Konia. He decided to descend there on his last attempt to fly to the Cape, because he was chilled by a snowstorm and bitter winds. The airman says ho was hoping for a comfortable night, but on the contrary he was surrounded by soldiers and marched to a hotel, where he was imprisoned in a room and was refused food or a fire until midnight. After that he was accused of spying because he did not possess authorisation to fly. The Turkish authorities would not permit him to communicate with the British Embassy at Angora for three days and refused to protect his aeroplane. Finally they permitted Mr. Mollison to go to Aleppo by train. There he obtained a permit to fly. On his return he found that his machine had been stripped of its instruments and dashboard and part of the floor had been torn up. He urges that it is time representations were made to the Turks to" prevent the despoiling of aviators.