TRAVEL BY AIR

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1933, Page 10

TRAVEL BY AIR

BRITISH MINISTERS’ TOURS THE EVEREST EXPEDITION. REMARKABLE PERFORMANCE. London, April 13. Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister, Secretary of State for the Colonies, is the latest member of the British Government to adopt the aeroplane as a means of travel on official .business. He has gone to Alexandria by the regular Imperial Airways service, to begin a speedy tour of the Middle East and Irak, moving throughout by landplane or flying boat, which will enable him ’ to cover in little more than a fortnight a distance of several thousand miles, ’ and to fulfil many important engagements. From Egypt he will fly to Palestine. ! Thence he will travel to Cyprus in a large Royal Air Force flying boat, ' ascending from the surface of Lake ' Tiberius and alighting at a convenient ; harbour in the island. He will go back to Palestine by flying boat and continue his journey to Bagdad in a troopcarrying biplane. His business in Irak concluded, he. .will be flown back .to Alexandria to connect with the Imperial Airways flying boat More and more the aeroplane is becoming an essential instrument of government. Ministers who are responsible for the control of the interests of vast territories and of many millions of people are able to undertake tours of inspection which are of immense value in the proper understanding of problems involved. In earlier days tire time factor forbade such journeys. Now that the aeroplane has conquered time they are easy ,to fit in with the demands of official business in London. ENTHUSIASM OF MINISTERS. • It is not surprising that the present British Government makes greater use than any previous Cabinet of the flying mar-bine. The Prime Minister is an enthusiastic air traveller. Sir John Simon, the Foreign Secretary, and Captain ’ Apthony Eden, his second-in-command, have employed the airway many times in the course of their journeys to and from ' the Continent Lord Londonderry, the Air Minister, recently completed a highspeed aeroplane tour of Irak and the Middle East. Another of the world’s highest mountains was surveyed from the air last week, when the Westland biplanes attached to the Everest - expedition were flown over Kanchenjunga, which is 28,150 ft. hjgh, or less than a thousand feet below the supreme summit of Everest itself. For more than 40 minutes the two aeroplanes, piloted by AirCommodore Fellowes and Flying-Officer Ellison, remained above 26,000 ft. They rose to a greatest height of 34,000 ft MORE RISKY THAN EVEREST. Magnificent photographs were secured of Kanchenjunga, which is declared by the pilots and their observers to be even more stupendous than Everest. The flight over Kanchenjunga is also attended with more risk than that over Everest,' because the summit is surrounded by a group of peaks which would leave no chance of escape if the engine should fail. The stark and precipitous sides of Everest, on the other hand, would allow the aeroplane to glide clear in most directions till it had lost some 10,000 ft. of height—a margin sufficient to allow the pilot to find a landing place or, at the least, to descend to a level where fie and his companions would find air sufficiently dense to be supportable. That the members of the expedition are grateful for the splendid performance of the “Pegasus” supercharged engines, which provides power to the two high-flying planes, is evident from the enthusiastic terms of a telegram received by the Bristol Aeroplane Company from Air-Commodore Fellowes. They entrusted their lives to the engines, which have never missed a beat. PATEA FIREMEN COMPETE. COOPER CUP COUPLING EVENT. Fireman A .Clarkson proved the winner of the coupling event in the Cooper Cup trophy competed for by Patea firemen this week. Fast times were recorded and exceptional keenness Was evidenced. Details are: A. Clarkson, handicap 12s, run 55 3~55, penalties. 0, finished time 43 3-ss; R. Fitzwater, Bs, 535, 0, 455; J. Black, 6s, 525, 0, 465; W. Willis, 2s, 48s, 0, 465; N. Coad, ss, 51s, 0, 465; W. Millan, . 6s, 545, . 0, 48 4-ss; M. Carey, 14s, 62 2-ss, Is, 49 2-ss; F. Fitzwater, 9s, 58 3- 0, 49 3-ss; M. Fitzwater, 9s, 59 4-ss, 0, 50 .4-ss; C. Carey, scr, 53 4-ss, 0, 53 4- ss; D. Ansley, 9s, 60 l-ss, 2s, 55 l-ss. PATEA PERSONALS. Mr. H. Palmer, Alton, is on a visit to Auckland. Mr. W. Carmichael, Dunedin, is holidaying with his brother, Mr. K. Carmichael. Mr. T. Parsons, Wellington, is visiting his brother Mr. F. Parsons, Whenuakura. SOUTH TARANAKI SHOW. FANCY WORK DIVISION. The fancy work division of the South Taranaki winter show is a. great section in which a great deal of interest is shown by all* sections of the community. This year 36 classes have been provided for and special prizes are included. A points prize is also offered to the value of £1 Is. In this division classes are provided for crochet, knitting, home-made toys, plain sewing, embroidery, etc., and much scope is offered for the many branches of fine , needlework. All details are given in the ( schedules.

Every encouragement should be given to the young people in this class of work and the children’s section includes three classes which have been specially set aside for them. Entries for this division close on June 10. Anyone desiring a schedule can obtain same on application to the manager, P.O. Box 79, Hawera.