AVIATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 29

AVIATION

CAPTAIN COURTNEY'S FLIGHT. RUGBY, July 25. Captain Courtney, who hopes to fly to America and back, made trial flights today and tested the wireless apparatus. He found that the vibration in the receiving set had been successfully overcome, and said that there wa s now iio cause for delay except the weattlier. AUSTRALIAN AIR SERVICES. LONDON, July 25. Addressing the Millions Club, Captain Hughes, president of the Australian Aero Club, said that there were now threeprivate air services operating in Australia, whose machines had made 11.668 flights’ A distance of 1.581,503 miles had been covered, and 10,467 passengers carried, with only two fatal accidents. INDIA TO ENGLAND. LONDON, July 25. Aviator Black landed at Croydon after a flight of 18,600 miles from India—a record distance—with a passenger. He also made record time from Europe to India—nine days, as against Hoare’s previous record of 11 days. This is regarded as a striking illustration of the commercial value of long-distance air transport. Black flew 13 days out of the 16, which the journey occupied. AN ALTITUDE RECORD. WASHINGTON, July 25. Lieutenant Champion ascended 48,000 feet in a Wright Apache biplane, establishing an unofficial altitude record. After he had descended to 36,000 feet, seven of the nine cylinders blew out. their heads ripping holes in the wings and knocking the oxygen tube from Champion’s mouth” piston rods flying backwards, shattering the wings and endangering his life. Champion fell “like a bat out of hell. The plane was powerless and onlv able to volplane.” He landed safely in a two-acre patch. The sealed barographs were undamaged and are being held pending calibration bureau standards. Experts declared that the safe descent was miraculous. The plane was completely frosted over. TORONTO TO LONDON. OTTAWA, July 26. A message from Toronto states that the Hon. W. Finlayson, Minister of Forests, announced to-night that the Government had refused permission for Captains Maxwell and Tully, who are employed in aeroplane patrol work, to attempt a flight to London in the August-September season, as the fire menace is then at its height; A CHAIN OF AIR PORTS. NEW YORK, July 26. President Coleridge intends to' pursue apolicy of encouraging every city and town in the United States to establish its own air port. The President has issued orders to the Commerce Department and the Aviation Board to assist in nromoting in every possible way the creation of suitable commercial landing fields. He holds the view that the Federal Government cannot appropriate funds for such fields, but will leave the establishment to the

localities, while the Federal Governmentdevotes itself -to tlie general promotion oi aviation. GERMAN 'PLANE CRASHES. ( BERLIN, July 28. A German passenger aeroplane crashed outside Amoneburg. Two pilots and three passengers were killed. RACING PLANE CRASHES. LONDON, July 28. Captain Barnard, the famous flyer was killed near Bristol while testing a racer in which he intended to fly for the King’s Cup. . Engine trouble developed, and the machine banked and nose-dived. It *- > H 100 ft, and was smashed, Captain rnard receiving terrible injuries, which resulted in his death.

. Captain Barnard was one of the finest air navigators in the world, and had already won the King’s Cup. He navigated by the most up-to-date scientific methods, and where many pilots p: -’ferrod when possible to depend on landmarks, Captain Barnard used instruments ahd calculations only. He habitually flew on the assumption that there were no landmarks to guide him, and thus flew safely in cloud and fog. As senior pilot of the Imperial Airways he was most careful, but took plenty of risks in war-time when engaged in day and night bombing. He bad flown throughout Europe in 100 different types of machines, and had flown more than 500,000 miles in cross-channel journeys. Among his exploits was a flight from Paris to London above the clouds without once seeing the ground after the take-off. He journeyed from Croydon to Cologne in one day, and covered 840 miles round Britain at an average speed of over 150 miles an hour. ROOK'S PROGRESS. DELHI, July 29. Dennis Rook landed at Aurangabad. 290 miles from Calcutta, after encountering stormy weather. ENGLISH AIR RACE. < LONDON. July 30. 1 he_l7 , starters in the Air Derby for the King's Cup included Lady Bailey, leu entrants withdrew, and eight, including Mrs Elliot Lynn, did not start, protesting that the new handicap formula, including the wing span, was unfair. Results: — Hope (De Haviland Moth), first averagmiffis an hour; Macmanough' ('Vestland Widgeon), second, averagin'' 102.8 miles an hour: Scholefield (Vickers vixen), third, averaging 141.6 miles an hour. Lady Bailey descended owing to valve trouble. Mr Bert Hinkler. No. 13, did not start owing to carburettor defect Broad’s Tiger Moth was the chief interest . e , ra Q- P n drst appearance it attained 166 miles an hour, but was forced to land owing to heavy weathe.'. HIGH AERIAL RAILWAY. r... ... PARIS, July 29. Ihe world s highest aerial railway, reaching- almost to the summit of Mont .?. nc : an d Laving taken 17 years to build, will be opened on August - ~

DEATH OF BRITISH ACE. ... T , LONDON, July 29. Major Beaumont, appearing for the Imperial Airways at the inquest on Captain Barnard, said that the latter had been released for the King’s Cup race. The company felt that it had lost one of the world s most magnificent airmen. Mr Mayer, the engineer responsible for the installation of the motors by the Bristol Compuany, said that Captain Barnard s maclfiue wa s passed yesterday The only question was which of four propellers should be used for the King's Cup race, these were successively tried, and it was when the fourth was being tested the Engine stalled and the plane crashed. Eye-witnesses said it was apparent that Captain Barnard was attempting a forced landing. He appeared to have proper control until near the ground, when tho machine did not straighten out. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

MELBOURNE TO MELBOURNE. NEW YORK, July 30. A message from Melbourne (Florida) states that a Melbourne to Melbourne flight (Honda to Australia) is being planned. *

... r C- Worley (manager of tho Florida Light and Power Company) announced that steps were being taken to PX ovlde plane, and a flier of World War fame was considering the proposition. ' 1