“WHO SAID THE KIWI CANNOT FLY?”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19942, 29 October 1934, Page 9

“WHO SAID THE KIWI CANNOT FLY?”

RARE TRIBUTES TO NEW

ZEALAND AIRMEN

“SUNDAY SUN’S” PICTURESQUE COMMENT ON AIR RACE United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received October 28, 7.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 28. Commenting on the arrival in Australia of the ’planes flown from England by Squadron-Leader M. C. McGregor, Squadron-Leader J. D. Hewett, and Mr S. G. White (New Zealand civilian pilot), “The Sunday Sun” says: “Who said the Kiwis can’t fly. Between Darwin and Narromine the air is thick with New Zealanders.” The modesty of the New Zealanders created an impression at Charleville. Squadron-Leader McGregor, when told by the Mayor of Charleville that he was a hero, replied: “Oh! No. There is nothing at all like that about it. I am just an ordinary sort of chap, who happens to earn a living by flying.” The New Zealanders are sunburnt because their ’plane offers no shelter. The pilots sit in open cockpits, whereas other machines are completely closed in. The Miles Hawk looks quite sturdy, yet almost a cheeky little craft when mentally compared with some of the larger and more powerful ’planes.

FLYING RECORDS SMASHED

WONDERFUL FLIGHT IN SMALL ’PLANE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright DARWIN, October 27. The flying time taken by SquadronLeader M. C. McGregor and H. C. Walker in their Miles Hawk, from England to Darwin was 5 days 15 hours 8 minutes, which constitutes a record for a single-engined machine. The previous record, which was held by Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, was 7 days 4 hours 5 minutes. Squadron-Leader McGregor’s actual flying time from Mildenhall aerodrome to Darwin is calculated at 81 hours 46 minutes, and he had an excellent chance of winning the handicap race, which, however, was reduced considerably by last night’s delay, owing to dust storms and a forced landing.

NEW ZEALANDERS IN MELBOURNE

Zealand Government representative, Colonel Helier Evans, president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, Messrs A. E. Fraser and L. L. Beeson, representing the New Zealand Association, Melbourne, Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., Mayor of Christchurch, the Rev. E. T. Cox, Mayor of Dunedin, Lieutenant Buckley. New Zealand Air Force, Mr N. C. Chandler, Instructor to the Marlborough Aero Club, and Mr J. G, Armstrong, a New Zeaj land pilot. When the tiny machine was wheeled into the hangar, the spectators laughed as it was accommodated under one wing of Parmentier’s machine. “Just a trip,” was McGregor’s comment. “The weather was bad after Darwin, and we lost a lot of time trying to follow the tracks people advised us to watch for. These usually petered .out at a waterhole.” Walker said: “The cowling worried the life out of us. Everytime we stopped we had to repair it, instead of resting.”

TINY 'PLANE’S PROUD RECORD United Press Association—By Electric Tel egraph—Copyright (Received October 28, 7.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, October 28. Squadron-Leader M. C. McGregor and H. C. Walker (New Zealand) flying a Miles Hawk in the Centenary Air Race from England to Australia arrived at 7.55 a.m. Tough Work Crossing: Australia Squadron-Leader McGregor arrived at Charleville at 3.28 p.m. on Saturday and departed at 4.09 p.m. A message from Sydney stated that McGregor landed at Narromine at 9.0 p.m. on Saturday night, and was

staying the night there. During the time the fliers were supposed to be missing they were actually spending the night at Brunette Downs, with which there is no radio communication. “Where are Hewett and Kay,” asked McGregor when he landed at Cloncurry, adding: “We must not allow them to beat us.” He said they had stayed at Brunette Downs to avoid the possibility of being lost in the dust storms raging during the night. “This is the hardest section of the flight,” said MceGrogr. “The engine cowling gave trouble but, after making an oil screen from a kerosene tin to prevent oil clouding the drift indicator, we were able to get away.” At Charleville, explaining the delay between Darwin and here, McGregor said: “The weather was clear when we left Darwin, but we ran into bac dust storms, just before reaching Newcastle Waters. It was not bad enough to detain us there, so we took off foi Cloncurry. As we proceeded, flying conditions gradually became worse anc at times it was impossible to see more than a few yards ahead. We hac passed Brunette Downs when visibilitj became so bad that it was impossible to proceed further. Consequently w< returned and landed at a station. Th< country between Darwin and Charleville is difficult for flying at any time and with bad weather condition: ahead, we would have run a seriou: risk of crashing if we had tried t< proceed. Consequently we spent thi night at Brunette.”

Both pilots are well but burned by exposure to wind and sun. The machine is the only one in the race with an open cockpit. Though the handicap points will not be calculated for more than a week yet, the smallness of the machine and the good time recorded are expected to place it high on the list.

FLIERS WARMLY WELCOMED CONCLUSION OF MAGNIFICENT FLIGHT United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright (Received October 28, 11.10 p.m.) MELBOURNE, October 28. Only a few people were at the Laverton aerodrome at 7.50 this morning to welcome Squadron-Leader M. C. McGregor and H C. Walker after a journey of 7 days 14 hours 58 minutes from England. Those present included Mr W. G. Black, president of the Manawatu Aero Club, Mr R. M. Firth, New

SECOND NEW ZEALAND TEAM REACHES AUSTRALIA FINE FLYING THROUGHOUT JOURNEY United Press Association—By Electric Tel egrapb —Copyright (Received October 28, 6.30 p.m.) DARWIN, October 28. Squadron-Leader J. D. Hewett’s trim Dragon ’plane painted tangerine, was a picture in the brilliant tropic sunshine v/hen it arrived here this morning. The airmen alighted from the ’plane looking particularly fresh and said that the flight across the Timor Sea was the best part of the journey hitherto. The weather was calm and delightful.

F. Stewart, the photographer, said they had a really magnificent trip throughout, although thunder storms disturbed them somewhat when approaching Penang. They were at Allahabad when they heard the good news that C. W. A. Scott had arrived at Melbourne. Everyone everywhere was acclaiming Scott as the greatest flier of the age.

The Flying Tainui. Flying-Officer Kay said the Dragon, which was named Tainui, would be taken across the Tasman Sea as soon as the weather conditions permit after arrival in Melbourne, because she had been commissioned for air mail work in New Zealand. The Dragon has a speed of 165 miles an hour and a cruising speed of about 140 miles an hour. Squadron-Leader Hewett said the Dragon was delivered to them two days before the start of the race. He wanted it to be as perfect when it reached Melbourne as when it left London, consequently they proceeded steadily during the race. Off the Course in Interior Australia. Squadron-Leader Hewett and C. E. Kay got off the course, after leaving Darwin, and were lost for some time. They did not reach Newcastle Waters until late on Saturday afternoon, and remained there for the night.

ANOTHER NEW ZEALANDER IN THE PICTURE

CIVILIAN PILOT’S SPLENDID PEFORM AN CE United Press Association—By Electric Tel egrapb—Copyright (Received October 28, 7.30 p.m.) DARWIN, October 28. S. G. White, of Rahui, Havelock North, New Zealand, who left England on September 18, in a Gypsy Moth on a solo flight to Australia arrived at 1.20 p.m. on Saturday. He earned the admiration of everyone here for his

solo flight in a tiny machine. White who is genial and youthful, said he had been taking the journey leisurely and was not out to break records. He experienced several misfortunes. At Jodhpur, the engine gave trouble, and at Palembang he had malaria fever, which delayed him some days. White carries a spare propeller strapped to the centre section of the struts.

SECOND NEW ZEALAND PLANE HEWETT AND KAY ARRIVE AT CLONCURRY United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received October 29, 1 a.m.) CLONCURRY, October 28. Squadron-Leader Hewett and FlyingOfficer Kay arrived at 2.30 p.m. and are staying the night. Plan to Fly Tasman. Squadron-Leader Hewett stated after reaching Melbourne that he would fly back to Sydney, where he would await favourable weather for a flight from Richmond Aerodrome to New Zealand. The ’plane is capable of carrying eight passengers and a pilot.