RECORD FLIGHT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19315, 4 May 1937, Page 5

RECORD FLIGHT

BROADBENT'S FEAT AUSTRALIA TO ENGLAND BROOK'S TIME ECLIPSED ADDITION TO LAURELS LIGHT PLANE TRIUMPH (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. May 4, 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, May 3. The Australian aviator, Mr. H. F. Broadbent, arrived at Lympne at 6.41 p.m. to : day on the completion of a record-breaking solo flight from Darwin. He eclipsed the previous record of 7 days 19 hours 50 minutes, set by the English pilot, Mr. If. L. Brook, in March of 1935 and who is now endeavouring to set a new record for the solo flight from Capetown to England.

Probably the most experienced of Australian long-distance- aviators, Mr. H. F. Broadbent holds the roundAustralia record and-held the EnglandAustralia solo record until Miss Jean Batten broke it last year. He may attempt to regain that record on the return flight. Mr. Broadbent made his England-Australia flight about the time of Kingsford Smith's last tragic flight, and declared, on its completion, that his experiences had been so severe that he would never again attempt such a feat. But. 12 months of hum-drum commercial flying erased the memories of death-cheating hours aloft. The old urge to beat time across the globe returned.

The absolute record time to England is 5 dajs 15 hours, established by Lieutenant Cathcart-Jones and Mr. K. Waller on their return flight to England in a twin-engined Comet machine in 1934.

PROGRESS OF BROOK CAPETOWN TO ENGLAND (Reed. May 4, 10 a.m.) KISUMA, May 3. Mr. H. L. Brook, who is attempting to break the record for the solo flight from Capetown to England, left Kisuma at 5 a.m. local time.

PILOT THROWN TO DEATH ESCAPE BY PASSENGER SUSPENDED BY STRAP LONDON, May 2. An amazing aviation mishap occurred at Romford.

A 23-year aviator-chemist, Douglas Gee, warned his passenger, Claude Oscroft, that he was going into a spin. The plane failed to flatten out and continued flying upside down.

Mr. Gee was hurled to death on a railway line, while Mr. Oscroft was suspended in the air by the strap of his seat. He managed to get his legs around the control stick and the machine miraculously righted, Mr. Oscroft making a safe landing.

BOMBERS' ATLANTIC HOP AMERICAN PROPOSAL SEATTLE, May 3. The Times .says that the United States Army is secretly planning to fly three Boeing bombers across the Atlantic in honour of the Coronation, and in commemoration of Colonel Lindbergh's crossing.