AERIAL NAVIGATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3117, 10 December 1913, Page 27

AERIAL NAVIGATION

LONDON, December 2. Captain Longcroft aeroplaned from Montrose to Portsmouth, and thence to Farnsborough—a non-stop run of 630 miles in hours. Mr Churchill, who has been taking lessons on aeroplanes and waterplanes ;;t Astychurch, made a three-quarter hour flight, personally controlling the machine. Captain Wildman Lushington, of the naval wing of the Flying Corps, was killed. Ho fell at Eastchurch from a height of 50ft, through tha biplane sideslipping. Captain Fawcett, a passenger, escaped. Captain Lushington piloted Mr Churchill in several flights on Saturday. The Westminster Gazette (G.) protests against Mr Churchil’s flying, and asserts that it does not servo any useful purpose, and may be regarded as reflecting on the courage of others. ST. PETERSBURG, December 7. When flying over the sea at Libau, Lieutenant Waichsmuth fell and was drowned. BELGRADE, December 3. M. Vedrines states that when he was passing the fortress of Valadine, on the Danube, at a height of 4000 ft, guns were fired at the monoplane, which, however, was not injured. The concussion was tremendous, and the machine nearly capsized. He quickly ascended to a height of 9000 ft. SOFIA, December 4. M. Vedrines, the aviator, has arrived here. Pie will cross to India after a flight in Egypt, thence ho flies to Singapore, Sumatra, Batavia, the western coast of Australia, Melbourne, and Sydney, whore he will take steamer to South America, and fly by way of the Pacific coast to Panama and New Orleans, thence by steamer to Lisbon, and by aeroplane to Paris. NEW YORK, December 4. Glenn Curtis, the noted American aviator, is organising a transatlantic flight for the spring. Ho intends to build the aeroplane, but will not participate in the flight himself. Hundreds of aviators, he say's, are ready to undertake the flight.