RECORD BROKEN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16360, 7 June 1927, Page 7

RECORD BROKEN

TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT COLUMBIA REACHES GERMANY 44 HOURS IN THE AIR TRIP ENDS IN MISHAP. (Elce. Tel. Copyright-United Press Assn.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 7, 11 a.m.) LONDON, June 6. Throughout the morning various telegrams gave different names to the spot where Captain Chamberlain first landed. It now appears certain it was Helfda, near Eislcben, where shortage of petrol compelled a descent at 7.40 p.nt., after flying for 44 hours and beating Captain Lindbergh’s record. He took aboard 100 litres of petrol and resumed the flight after 115 minutes rest. Apparently he miscalculated his direction, and Hew Loo far south. Then it is believed trouble with tlie German iuel forced liifh to descend 80 miles south-east of Berlin.

He landed in a marshy meadow, broke his propeller, and buried the nose of the machine and under-carriage in mud. The aviators were unhurt, and will be taken to Berlin by aeroplane to-morrow. A military escort, sent out from Berlin in the direction of' Dortmund joined Captain Chamberlain.

AVIATORS INTERVIEWED GOOD WEATHER CONDITIONS ATE PRACTICALLY NOTHING (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received June 7, noon.) BERLIN, June 6. Capt. Chamberlain, interviewed, said : “We had favorable following winds for 24 hours whilst over the ocean. Over England the weather was also particularly good, the wind coning from the south and helping us, but conditions changed dramatically in the. Channel, where- a great squall'buffeted thy Columbia badly. Heavy rain was encountered, but. the machine weathered the storm splendidly. Once beyond the Channel, " e were, confident we would attain our goal. Unfortunately, at 5.30 p.m. fuel ran out, and we decided to land near Helfda.

“We ate practically nothing on the wav, and were very hungry and thirsty when we climbed out. But for the oil giving out we, could have gone on flying. I tired,* of course, hut flying becomes 1 argery mediarnca 1 . ”

Air. Levine expressed keen disappointment at the mishap, but both were remarkably fit. nnd looking forward to reaching Berlin by air. The propeller cannot be repaired before to-morrow.

DETROIT TO LONDON £IO,OOO PRIZE PROPOSAL FOR COMMERCIAL ’PLANES (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received June 7, 11 a.in.) DETROIT, June 6. Business men meet to-morrow for the purpose of raising a prize of £IO,OOO for the first commercial plane: to fly from Detroit to London with a load equivalent to five passengers. Mr. Harvey Campbell, sponsor of the project, said: “We Have in mind the creation of an incentive to build planes capable of practical flights, instead of flights where one or two men carry a load of gasolene.” Mr. Campbell added that- no such plane was at present being built, but he pointed out that the prize won by Captain Lindbergh had been available for eight- years.

3125 MILES COVERED FRENCH FLIGHT ABANDONED (Sydney Sun Cables.) PARIS, June fi. Limits. Coste and Rignot abandoned their flight 3125 miles from Paris. Fifteen out of the hours flying time was spent in fog. They landed in a small field near the Ural forest, in the neighborhood of Nishni Tagilisk.

Limits. Coste and Rignot created a record non-stop flight of 3390 miles, which was recently eclipsed by Capt. Lindbergh in his trans-Atlantic, flight. The Frenchmen made immediate plans to set a new record, intending to fly to Tokio from Paris, making the first stop in Siberia after covering 4000 miles.

ROOT REACHES ABOUKIR (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.! LONDON, June 0. Capt. Denis Root, who is flying to Australia, arrived at Abottkir on June 5 He leaves for Cairo on Wednesday.