IN THE AIR

Otago Witness, Issue 3488, 18 January 1921, Page 43

IN THE AIR

The Aero Transport Company’s De Haviland flew from Invercargill to Stewart Island on the 13th inst., piloted by Captain Buckley, and carrying as passengers Mr Mercer (manager) and Mr W. 11. P. Fleming, of Gore. The aeroplane left Invercargill at 7 a.m., passed over Bluff 10 minutes later, and flew from Bluff to Halfmoon Bay in another 12 minutes. Five or 10 minutes were spent circling about Paterson’s Inlet, Elder and other small islands, and the pilot dropped to about 500 ft while the morning newspaper was delivered to the residents from the air. The machine returned to Invercargill at 7.30, circling round Bluff and Invercargill before landing. During the flight a site was picked out for a landing ground at Stewart Island. It will be examined within the near future. An interesting fact about the flight is that it is the first time any aeroplane has flown so far south as Stewart Island. Thus has the aeroplane reached the southern outpost of the Empire. The flight was made at an altitude of about 5000 ft, and in point of sea distance ranks second only by four or five miles to the flight of Captain Dickson, who recently piloted a Canterbury Aviation machine from Blenheim to Wellington, being the first airman to cross Cook Strait. At 4.25 p.ni, the De Haviland left Invercargill for Dunedin, carrying, in addition to the pilot and Mr Mercer, Messrs D. W. Mac Kay and A. H. Bath, of Invercargill. The machine was fully loaded, but with the assistance of a light following wind did a non-stop flight to Dunedin in 65 minutes, arriving here at 5.30. The pilot chose a now route, which reduced the air-line distance between the two towns to 110 miles. The route took him direct to Clinton, passing between Gore and Mat-aura, and again direct to Mosgiel, leaving Balclutha 18 or 20 miles to the star board. While flying across country several likely-looking places were noted for future use in the event of a forced landing in the hilly country.