GARDEN’S FLIGHT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17409, 6 November 1930, Page 7

GARDEN’S FLIGHT

DUE AT SYDNEY TO-DAY “A TICKLISH PROPOSITION” (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) SYDNEY, Nov. 5. The New Zealand aviator, Oscar Garden, who is described as a casual sort oil fellow, sent wo-rd to his friends that he would be leaving Wyndham this morning and be duly reached Alice Springs, in Central Australia, to-night, landing in the darkness. He arrives at Sydney to-morrow night, which means very long hops over treacherous desert country. Garden is the first of the England-to-Australia airmen to land at Wyndham. Leading pilots say that this is a much more ticklish proposition than landing at Darwin.. 4 ‘ HAPPY-GO-LUCKY ’ ’ AN ESCAPE REVEALED CALCUTTA, Oct. 29. Oscar Garden, the young New Zealand aviator who left Lympne (Kent) on October 17, on a solo flight to Australia, arrived here from Jask to-day. “I must have been born lucky!” he cheerfully observed, as he jumped out of his plane at Dum Dum at- 7 o’clock this evening. The remark was occasioned by his narrow escape from serious injury when his aeroplane capsized in a paddy field near Jhansi. The machine turned completely over, damaging both wings and tail.

Rain had been falling for five hours and the machine was nearly covered. Coolies were persuaded to drag the machine with a rope for two miles to a dry patch, where Garden repaired the machine himself.

Supplies of Plume and Mobiloil were made available at all points along the route at Oscar Garden’s request. This is the first occasion that any plane has flown direct from Wyndham to- Alice Springs, the route being over particularly rough and dangerous country. ‘‘WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE” CHICHESTER’S TRIBUTE RANKS WITH THE BEST (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. “Oscar Garden’s performance is a wonderful one,” said Mr. F. C. Chichester, who flew from England to Australia. earlier in the year. “When one considers his lank of experience, and the fact that he has beaten such professionals as Major Pickthorne, who had been instructing at Brooklands for years, and Captain Matthews, who also, had years of instructing, and Flight-Lieut. Hill, one realises what a line effort, his lias been. There have been only three flyers with light- aeroplanes who have done the trip without a crash—Hinkler, Kingsford Smith and Garden.” Questioned as to what he thought of Garden’s chances on a trans-Tasman flight, Mr. Chichester said that he did not think his Moth could carry enough petrol for the journey. They might be able to get 100 gallons into his machine, but that would not last more than 1400 miles. “1 only hope that tho flight will be an incentive to other New Zealanders to try and bring New Zealand to the forefront, of tlife nations in noteworthy flying achievements,” concluded Mr. Chichester.