NEW BOMBERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23811, 18 May 1939, Page 12

NEW BOMBERS

FLIGHT FROM ENGLAND SECOND COMMANDING OFFICER DEPARTURE FOR HOME (Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON. May 17. Flight-lieutenant C. E, Kay, who has been appointed second in command and navigating officer of the first flight of Vickers Wellington bombers to be flown out to New Zealand within the next two months, left Wellington by the Awatea for Sydney yesterday en route to England. From Sydney Flight-lieutenant Kay will fly to England by the Empire service. He is to leave Sydney next Saturday, the day after the Awatea’s arrival, and is due at Southampton on May 30. Consisting of six aircraft, the first flight of new bombers is to be delivered in England by the end of thi» month. The flight will be formed on June 1 under the command of Squadron-leader W. M. Buckley, 0.8. E. Outstanding Career Flight-lieutenant Kay has already had considerable experience in long ocean flights and has had an outstanding career in aviation. In October, 1934, he accompanied Squadronleader J. D. Hewitt, also a New Zealander, in a D.H. Dragon machine which competed in the Macrobertson Centenary Air Race from England to Australia. The two New Zealanders were in sixth place and had reached Australia when their machine was damaged. While taking off from Cloncurry one wing of the Dragon was damaged, a spar cracked and the rudder post damaged when the machine struck a fence. The airmen were delayed for several days while repairs were carried out. C. W. A. Scott and T. Campbell Black, in a D.H. Comet, gained first place, their net flying

time being 64 hours 48 minutes. Squadron-leader Hewitt and Flightlieutenant Kay’s net flying time was 83 hours 2 minutes. Flight Across Tasman In November of the same year Squadron-leader Hewitt and Flightlieutenant Kay achieved the double distinction of being the first flyers to make a flight from England to New Zealand and the first New Zealander to cross the Tasman Sea by air. They left Richmond aerodrome, Sydney at 5.45 a.m. (Australian time) on November 14 and landed at Milson Aerodrome! Palmerston North, shortly before 8 o’clock that night. Their flying time for the trip was 9| hours. Squadron-leader Hewitt was at the controls for the duration of the flight and Flightlieutenant Kay was navigator. Accompanying them in the D.H. Dragon was Mr F. H. Stewart, who carried out the duties of wireless operator. Mrs Kay is accompanying her husband as far as Australia and will complete the journey to England by sea.