SOUTHERN CROSS VISIT

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1933, Page 3

SOUTHERN CROSS VISIT

—— ’ . INTEREST IN AUCKLAND. ’ * • • ■ CROWDS AT AERODROME. / - ! The keenness of Aucklanders to seize; the privilege of flying with Sir ’ Charles i Kingsford Smith in the famous Southern’ Cross . was ■ demonstrated at Mahgere aerodrome on Sunday, when about‘4so .1 adults and children went for flights’in'' the giant monoplane. From a commercial point of view it was the most /successful day experienced dn any one town in Australia or New Zealand ’since. the Sou.therp Cross .’has been, available for pleasure flights. A total of 33 flights'iwaS made by the machine, about 70 per cent. / of the passengers being women. " ' Until Sunday New Plymouth was /the town which provided the airman with the most successful day’s activity, about 375 people being taken for flights there and the machine going aloft/31: times.; The, Wellington Aero Clhb’s Waco nia-1 chine, which is acting as tedder for. the Southern Cross, took 140 passengers ■ into the air. This machine,, which was* piloted by Captain J. Bolt, carried «/' greater. number of people 'at .New Ply-4 mouth. 'More passengers were anxious? ■to fly in the Southern Cross on Sunday,.; but it was decided , that 33 j flights ' con-/' stituted a sufficiently arduous, day? for?? Sir Charles. . '/ :. ■ / ■/'/■ The interest of Aucklanders. .in ;/th* • Southern Cross and its renowned pilot was demonstrated not only by the,niii444 t>er who actually flew, but by trie 9OTO'/ people who visited the aerodroirie dur-4 ing the day. Both in the morning and afternoon, the road leading, to/the aero-i drome carried a constant stream /-'of.; motor-cars and; buses going and / ing. With the . Southern Cross - and n// number of small club machines passing/ to and fro overhead the scene was one of great activity. Flying exhibitions by? the Auckland Aero Club instruetpr,-. Flight-Lieutenant D. M. .Hi® crowd many a thrill. . / *> V * “It was wonderful,” said one . Auc?-; land women after she had Sown m w Southern Cross. “I did not want. out, but would have liked, to keep om flying, and I shall be 76 next birthday:/! It is the first time I have flown apdi l: think it was wonderful.” ; What impressed many of the passengers was the fact that they felt .no "bumps when landing. Neither did .they the exact moment the machine left .tn*;, ground. The frequent comment on this ■ aspect indicated that the sizp. of thp/ma». chine had led many, to anticipate .< sort of physical shock when the mono-, plane touched the ground. The smooth.- :; ness with which the! landings were mad* ? was apparent also to. the onlookers, ; occasioned much praise of the which the machine was. handled; . , Dr. E. H. Milsom, who made a ffijsht t said it was an experience which every,/ body could be recommended .to spite of the factf that when he - went aloft it was the machine’s 13th ? flight the afternoon and 13 passengers were carried, the conditions were ideal / Demonstrations of aerobatics, ''.-'and/ 1 ; crazy flying by Flight-Lieutenant Allan./ provided additional entertainment for the,;, onlookers and much interest centred in the mimic battle between machines -pilot- , ed* by Flight-Lieutenant Allan and/ hlr.j> J. Stevenson, a club-trained pilot /An« unexpected, incident occurred during-r*/ “bombing” demonstration, when. / motor-car containing the Rev. Scrimgeour, club captain, and Drummond, was bombed from an plane with bags of flour. struck the rear window of the car; and; broke it Mr. Drummond was cut slight?/ ly bn the face. . .'