A Week in the Air

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 673, 27 May 1929, Page 11

A Week in the Air

JNITED STATES AIRMEN BREAK RECORD STORM FORCES DESCENT (Cnited P.A. —Hy Telegraph—CopgrightJ (Australian aad .V.Z. Press Associationj Reed. 12.26 a.m. Reed. 12.26 a.m. The monoplane Fort Worth, which has made a new world’s record lor a sustained flight, lauded at 4.7 p.m. central standard time, after an endurance flight of more than a week. The plane took off on May 19 at 11.33 a .m Her flying time was 7 days 4 hours 34 minutes. The flyers were driven down after cruising through stormy weather, more by weariness from the violent vibration of the plane than from any mechanical difficulty. The plane was flown by Reginald Robbins (pilot) and James Kelly (assistant pilot). They easily beat the record of 150 hours 40 minutes 15 seconds created by airmen in the army monoplane Question Mark on January 7. The refuelling of the machine had been effected in the air for the 16th time at the hour mentioned. The airmen hoped to remain in flight for 200 hours. They were up 172 J hours. Robbins is a motor mechanic who learned to fly while making himself useful around the air field. Kelly was a cowboy who forsook a Texas ranch and obtained a pilot’s licence only seven weeks ago. The single Wright Whirlwind motor in the airplane being used had been operated for 500 hours before the flight, was commenced. Robbins refused to have it rebuilt.