SUPREMACY IN THE AIR.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18203, 2 March 1929, Page 17

SUPREMACY IN THE AIR.

Germany’s Big Bid. NATION-WIDE ORGANISATION. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, February 28. No country in Europe has built up a finer ground, organisation for purposes of aviation than Germany, says the “Daily Mail’s” special investigator. It now possesses 32 specially equipped aeroplane harbours, and 66 officially recognised landing places, from all of wnicli petrol is obtainable and repairs ar© clone, and to all of which weather reports are wirelessed from Berlin. At other centres aeroplanes come and go on a network of invisible lines, with the regularity of railway trains. The times of departure and arrival fill more than 100 sections of the summer time table. It will soon bo difficult to> find a place of any importance in Germany to which it will bo impossible to travel by A special company has been formed to illuminate the night flying routes, which include Berlin-Konigsberg, Ber-lin-Ha never. The Air-Hansa is receiving directly and indirectly £2,000,000 from the Reich, and controls most of the 27 principal air lines, but there are 46 other companies, with passenger and freight carrying rights. Eighteen firms aro engaged in aeroplane making. Berlin has a school for training civil pilots, and there are eleven other institutes in different parts of Germany for teaching flying. FLIGHT TO THE EAST. FRENCH AIRMEN CRASH. (Unitad Press Association'— By Eleetrie Telegraph—Copyright. J DELHI, February 28. The French fliers in Indo-China, when 100 miles from Rangoon, crashed in flames in a swamp. Le Briz and the mechanic, Jousse,* were slightly injured. Th© mails wer© salved by villagers. AVIATION IN BRITAIN. [ . SIR ALAN COBHAM’S PLANS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 27. Sir Alan Cobham will, in April, start a four months’ flying tour of Great Britain for the purpose of advising municipalities in their choice of aerodrome sites to> cope with the future development of inland air traffic. Municipal authorities ar© collaborating in an effort to secure 1000 such landing-places in Britain. The trophy presented by Viscount Maher, awarded annually to the squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force adjudged to be the best all-round squadron of the year, has been won for the year 1928 by No. 601 (County of London) Squadron, commanded by Squad-ron-Leader Lord Edward Grosvenor. British Official Wireless.