UNLUCKY AIRMAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22086, 16 April 1935, Page 9

UNLUCKY AIRMAN

STRATOSPHERE FLIGHT FAILURE OF THIRD EFFORT MR. WILEY POST'S ATTEMPTS IN AIR FOR EIGHT HOURS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received April 15, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, April 14 Mr. Wiley Post, the famous American pilot who holds the round-the-world record for a solo flight, failed in his third attempt to fly across the United States through the stratosphere when he was forced down near Lafayette, Indiana, this afternoon. He had left Los Angeles at 8.27 a.m. Mr. Post said a defect in the supercharger caused the landing, which was made perfectly in spite of the fact that the landing gear had been dropped when the machine started. He was in the air for about eight hours and covered almost 2000 miles. MISS JEAN BATTEN ARRIVAL AT SINGAPORE JOURNEY LATER RESUMED (Received April 15, 7.15 p.m.) SINGAPORE. April 15 Miss Jean Batten, the Auckland girl flier, who is on a flight from Australia to England, arrived at Singapore yesterday and resumed her flight this morning. FLIGHT ROUND WORLD AMERICAN AIRMAN'S PLANS REPORT FROM LONDON LONDON, April 14 The Sunday Chronicle says that Mr. Clyde Pangborn, the noted American flier, and Mr Bennett Griffith plan a round-the-world non-stop flight of 4£ days in a two-engined monoplane. They hope to average 200 miles an hour. They will start from San Diego, California, and will refuel in the air at New York, Moscow and Chita. Mr. R. Nichols, who accompanied Mr. Pangborn and Colonel Roscoe Turner in the Melbourne Centenary race, has been chosen as wireless operator.

A message from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 28, said Colonel Roscoe Turner had announced that plans were under way and a special aeroplane was being built for him to make a flight around the world at the equator in the autumn. The machine would be capable of a speed of more than 400 miles an hour in the stratosphere, through which the aeroplane would make its 25,000-mile flight. Mr. Pangborn and Mr. R. Nichols were expected to accompany him on the BtfW venture. The reason he gave for making the flight was that "it has never been done before." Colonel Turner and his two companions in the Centenary air race passed through Auckland on their return to the United States last November. They stated then that a flight round the world was to be made under the leadership of Mr. Pangborn, and that Colonel Turner would probably be one of the crew.