ATLANTIC TEST FLIGHTS
COMMENT BY PILOTS BAD WEATHER. PHASES WINTER CROSSING PLANS (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. July 8, noon) NEW YORK, July 6.
Interviewed at Botwood, Newfoundland, by a representative of the New York Times, Captain Arthur Wilcockson, commander of the Imperial Airways flying boat Caledonia, which made the experimental trans-Atlantic flight from Foynes, Ireland, said that the weather conditions were not so good. For most of the way there were low clouds, a drizzle and head winds.
“We were delighted, therefore, that the trip occupied so short a time as 15hrs. lOmin.,” he said. “We used 1700 gallons of petrol. The conditions were perfect approaching Newfoundland.”
A North American Newspaper Alliance message from Captain Grey, commander of the Pan-American Airways Clipper, which made the crossing from Newfoundland to Ireland, says: “The sight of Ireland was really welcome. We are not tired. The flight was entirely pleasant. \ During the first part the going was remarkably smooth and the skies clear. We checked our bearings with the Caledonia passing 60 miles from us. Then we met rain. It became soupy and grey and we depended on our instruments for obtaining our bearings from nine steamers 100 miles from Ireland. The clouds broke before the landing.” The Caledonia is proceeding tomorrow from Botwood to Montreal, and will then fly to New York. The American Clipper will fly tomorrow from Foynes to Southampton.
The Caledonia covered the transAtlantic journey at an air speed of 162 miles an hour, and both pilots agree that the passage was in no sense difficult. Nevertheless, the IrelandNewfoundland route during the winter is often stormy, and the plan is to divert aircraft to the southerly route via the Azores and Bermuda at such times. Trial flights between Bermuda and Newfouridland are already being conducted by Imperial Airways and Pan-American Airways.
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Bibliographic details
Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19371, 8 July 1937, Page 5
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304ATLANTIC TEST FLIGHTS Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19371, 8 July 1937, Page 5
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