LONG-DISTANCE FLYING

Taranaki Daily News, 6 June 1930, Page 14

LONG-DISTANCE FLYING

ENGLAND TO-AUSTRALIA. “It is our boast that we. can supply petrol for aviation at any inhabited place in the world if we are given sufficient notice,” said Mr, Max. Bleechmore, Australian advertising manager of the Shell Oil Company, who is now in Auckland, in referring to the part played by his company in flights made from England to Australia. He said that without a carefully-or-ganised scheme of fuel supplies such flights would, not be possible. The Shell Company had provided fuel for all the flights made from England to Australia, and for every flight in the opposite direction, except the one made by the Southern Cross. The practice was for arrangements to be made with the London office before a flight was commenced, so that petrol would be ready at every point before the machine arrived. It was usual to have a conference with a flyer in advance, and to agree upon an itinerary. Cables were sent to all points, and it was the practice for an aeroplane not to leave until everything was ready. Z great deal of work was involved for the company to make all the arrangements. The depot managers had instructions to keep in touch with cable or wireless, and the messages received were handed to the Press. The Australian branch of the company was- concerned with the part of the air route from Atamboea, Timor Island, to Darwin, and. then southward across the continent.

In making arrangements for meeting Miss Johnson, the company had sent its own aeroplane, the Golden Shell, to Darwin, with Captain Jones as pilot and Flying Officer Owen as a passenger. Owen, an employee of the company, was one cf the best aircraft mechanics in Australia, and was to overhaul Miss Johnson’s engine if necessary.

In addition, the tanker Phorus, belonging to the Shell Company, kept a lookous between Timor and Darwin, and radioed when Miss Johnson flew overhead.

It was an interesting fact, he said, that some petrol stored in drums at one point in Australia for Sir Ross Smith, and not used, was available when Hinkler flew nine years later. The company had not been called on to supply anything but ordinary commercial spirit to England-Australian flyers, except in the case of the Air Force flying boats, which had high compression engines and required a special grade of spirit.