AN IMPORTANT EVENT

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 84, 14 August 1929, Page 5

AN IMPORTANT EVENT

FRENCH CRUISER'S PLANE VISITS BLENHEIM, PRAISE FOR FLYING GROUND, Press Association—Copyright. BLENHEIM, This Day. Extraordinary public interest centred in the special visit to Blenheim of the French cruiser Tourville's huge amphibian aeroplane and it is inteersting to note that whenTTer wheels touched the ground at the Woodbourae field it was her first .ground landing since leaving Prance. The pilot, Lieut. J. G. M. Bellando, who was accompanied by Major L. M. Isitt, Acting Director of Air Services, and a mechanic, was welcomed by His Worship the Mayor and officials of the Marlborough Aero Club, and the party Avere subsequently entertained in town. Lieut. Bellando, replying to the welcome, said there was no aero.drome in the whole- of Prance to even begin to compare with the Woodbourae field. The amphibian was met half-way across the Straits by one of the Aero Club's Moths and escorted to the field. She made a perfect take-off on the return journey to Wellington at 4.15 p.m. - Blenheim is the only town in New Zealand to he visited.