FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22389, 8 April 1936, Page 13

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

MR. MELROSE STARTS LOOK-OUT FOR LOST FLIERS LONDON, April 6 Mr. C. J. Melrose, the well-known young Australian flier, left Heston aerodrome at 1.30 p.m. to-day on a leisurely flight to Adelaide. Owing to two mishaps, however, the airman, was delayed later at Lympne, Kent. He will start again about noon to-morrow.

Mr Melrose will keep a look-out for signs of the machine in which Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Mr. Tom Pethvbridge were lost last year. He is using a new high-wing Phoenix Monospar machino and plans to arrive in Adelaide before the end of the month. Mr. Melrose stated to a representative of the Sun-Herald news service that he would fly over the route taken by Sir Charles on his last flight. He would keep a look-out over the dense jungle above the Malay Peninsula in the forlorn hope of seeing signs of the lost airmen. "It looks as though I shall bo Hying solo," said tlio airman. I had hoped to carry three or four passengers, but so far I have received no applications from people willing to pay. Mr. Melrose said he was highly satisfied with his machine, which is the first of its type. It has a top speed of 200 miles an hour and a range of from 50C to 700 miles. It has a retractable undercarriage and a comfortable cabin.