AVIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20354, 10 March 1928, Page 11

AVIATION

MR HINKLER AT BRISBANE. PRESENTED WITH A CHEQUE. (Praa* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright ) BRISBANE, March 9, Mr Hinkler was enthusiastically received at a round of festivities arranged in his honour. H© was presented with a cheque for £IOOO at the nowspaner Courier office, which is the first instalment of a public subscription. He leaves for Sydney to-morrow. CAPTAIN HINCHCLIFFE. MYSTERY ABOUT DESTINATION. LONDON, March 8. Mystery surrounds Captain Hinchcliffe’s destination. The officials at Gran well are unaware whether it is India or America, but certainly it is one or the other. There is accommodation for two, but it is unknown! who will accompany him. The Hon. Elsie Mackay said: 1 am very annoyed at the whol© matter. i never intended going. I have only a small financial interest. The project was to establish a record non-stop flight."—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE HON. ELSIE MACKAY. FATHER AGAINST A FLIGHT. LONDON, March 8. (Received March 9, at 5.5 p.m.) Captain Hinchcliffe says that he hopes to make a transatlantic flight shortly, but will first carry out a long-distance nonstop run, and may attempt to reach Karachi. In any case, he will try to be the first man to travel by air to America. The Hon. Elsie Mackay admits that she has been aloft on every occasion in the machine’s trials. She would give anything to go on the transatlantic flight, but her father opposed.—A. and N.Z. Cable. PREMATURE PUBLICITY. LONDON, March 9. (Received March 9, at 8.25 p.m.) The York Sun publishes a statement to the effect that secret arrangements were made for the Hon. Elsie Mackay and Captain Hinchcliffe to make a transatlantic flight, but premature publicity forced them to abandon it. The Sun obtained the admission to this effect from Mr John Gillespie, who is Captain Hinchcliffe’s American manager, who added that the flight was to be undertaken despite the objections of the Hon. Elsie Mackay’s family. A. and N.Z. Cable. AMERICAN AIR MAIL SERVICE. AN AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME. WASHINGTON, March 8 The Post Office Department has adopted a programme designed to give an air mail service within 10 years to every city tn the United States with a population above 50,000. The department expresses the hope that the great improvement in facilities will increase the number of ’planes and the' mileage in the coming year.— A. and N.Z. Cable. BRITAIN’S AIR ESTIMATES, INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR. LONDON. March S. The Air Estimates for 1928 reach a net total of £16,250,000, an increase on last year of £700,000. Sir Samuel Hoare (Air Minister), in a memorandum, explains that, omitting special appropriations, there is a gross decrease of £851,000, despite the provision of a year in which the Royal Air Force, as distinct from the fleet air arm, has been enlarged- by -Gy, o '- n< ?’ v flights in flying boats 'and? the,, {qrpivtiop, of two new sauadrons in India; The two new flights bring the air unite' allotted to fleet, work to 25 flights. Considerable progress has been made >r cooperation and uniformity with the Dominion’s air forces. The officers who joined the Royal Air Force on short-service commisisons, after initial training in Australia have proved themselves valuable and efficient.—A. and N.Z. and Sydney Sun Cable.