AVIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22025, 7 August 1933, Page 7

AVIATION

THE MOLLISONS ACCLAIMED

RETURN TO BRIDGEPORT

(United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.)

BRIDGEPORT (Connecticut),

August 4,

Mr and Mrs Mollison returned to Bridgeport to-day to a noisy welcome from a host of friends, rather than to the still, white welcome of the hospital. With an escort of air aces the couple came down at 1.50 p.m. at the airport where their Atlantic flight ended disastrously.

FINE NON-STOP FLIGHT.

BRIDGEPORT (Connecticut), August 4,

Frank Hawks, a well-known airman, appeared over the airport half an hour before the Mollisons, and touched his wheels to the runway after a non-stop flight from Regina (Saskatchewan) in eight hours two minutes. ,

SOLO FLIGHT OVER THE ATLANTIC.

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 4, (Received August 6, at 5.5 p.m.)

John Grierson, an ex-lloyal Air Force pilot, who intended to leave Brough this morning for Scapa Flow, in preparation for an Atlantic solo flight by the northern route, is still awaiting favourable weather.

GRIERSON ARRIVES AT SCAPA FLOW.

LONDON, August 5. (Received August 6, at 9< p.m.)

John Grierson has started from Hull to fly to New York, via Scapa Flow, Iceland and Greenland, in his seaplane. The Moth engine has been converted from the aeroplane in which be made a record flight from India. A later message states that Grierson arrived at Scapa Flow.

ITALIAN SEAPLANE FLIGHT.

(British Official Wneless.) RUGBY, August 4. (Received August 6, at 5.5 p.m.)

The Italian base commander at Valencia Island confirms the report that Major Balbo has decided to abandon the proposed direct flight, and will proceed via the short Azores route, thus affording greater security from fog and bad weather.

FLIGHT “TO NOWHERE.”

NEW YORK, August 5. (Received August 6, at 7 p.m.)

A transatlantic flight “to nowhere ” was started at 4.41 on Saturday by Maurice Rossi and Paul Codes, French aviators, who are attempting .to set a distance record. They have planned to reach the English coast and keep going. They are well supplied with food and carry a wireless equipment. NEW YORK, August 5. (Received August 6, at 8 p.m.)

The Radio Marine Corporation received a message on Saturday night from the steamer Lord Kelvin, south-west of Gape Race, Newfoundland, saying that it had heard the French flyers getting a compass bearing from Cape Race wireless station. Their plane is named Joseph Lebrix in honour of the French flyer killed in 1931. The plane carried 1770 gallons of gasoline, the heaviest load ever taken aloft by a plane in the United States.

NEARING COAST OF BRITTANY

PARIS, August C,

(Received August 7, at 0.25 a.m.)

The French transatlantic flyers sent a wireless message stating that they were 625 miles from the coast of Brittany.

AMBITIOUS PROJECT FAILS,

CHICAGO, August 5. (Received August 6, at 7 p.m.) Hopeful of piercing space to a height never before negotiated by man, Lieu-tenant-commander T. G. W. Settle swept aloft in his balloon Century of Progress at 2.5 a.m. central standard time on Saturday for the scientific exploration of the stratosphere. He expected to rise to an altitude of about 15 miles to study the little-known cosmic rays. In five minutes the balloon was out of sight. Settle is confident of riding safe and serene through the upper regions in his metal ball, which is seven feet in diameter and is constructed of a magnesium alloy, tightly shut. A later message states that Settle lauded within 10 minutes of his take-off After attaining 1000 feet he pulled the balloon’s valve to level off for a while, but the valve stuck and the ship began to drop. Settle dumped 55 bags of ballast, each weighing 401 b, but could not prevent the descent. He was not injured.

CAPETOWN TO LONDON,

CAPETOWN, August 5. (Received August 6, at 7 p.m.) A Swiss airman, Carl Nauer, who flew from Zurich to Australia, left Capetown at dawn hoping to lower Amy Johnson’s record to London. Taking off he said, “ I want to be in London just after breakfast on Tuesday.”