FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19812, 2 December 1919, Page 8

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA.

THE "KANGAROO'S" PROCRESS. WILKINS REACHES ROME. Bf T«t«(fr»Dlj—Press Asiocintion—Copyrigltt Australian and N.Z. Cable A?sociation. (Received December 2, 10.65 a.m.) LONDON, December 1. Captain "Wilkins in liis " Kangaroo " Blackburn machine reached Pisa on Saturday and Rome on Sunday afternoon. He intended to leave for Ta'rantb to-day. ANOTHER COMPETITOR, '.(Received December 2, 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, November 28. l'arer, of the Royal Air Kprce, has entered, for the Australian flight. The Beardmore Aero Engine Oompnny is collaborating with Rarer in the details of the machine, the construction of which has commenced. DEPARTURE FOR RANGOON Reuter'a Telegrams. (Received December 2,. 12.40 j.m.) ■?•■•-. RANGOUA, December 1. Joulet leit'for Bangkok uveiity-hve nmnuev after Ross Smith. ARRIVAL AT BANGKOK. * Hnitad s>«rvie». (Received December 2, 12 40 a.m.) . SYDNEY. December 1. Boss-Smith cables from Bangkok tmder date December 1 stating that ho left Rangoon at 7 a.m. and reached Bangkok at one. A heavy storm after pissing Moulmein caused delar ana drove him out of his course. He followed the river Menom south to iWkok, where lie met with an-excellent leeeption. 'Assistance was provided bv the Siamese Aviation Corps. He hopm to land at Singora on December 2, ami bingapore on December 3, if all is well. Koss Smith's progress is shown in U-e following tables : Appro*. Distance from Lo.y'nn, ' Start from London Nov. 12..■'-. Arrived Lyons' . Nov. 12 500 Arrived Pioft . . Nor. H Ofi) Arrived Homo . Nov. 17 1,017 Arrived' Cairo , . Nov. ID 2 38? Arrived Bushiro . Nof, -20 3*412 Passed, liualn'ra . Nov. 33 Arrived 'Karachi . Nov. 21 4,572 Anivod Delhi . Nov. 05 4*5:17 Arrived Calcutta . Nov. 2$ .5,537 Arrived Rnngcon . Nov. 3i) 8,10" Arrived Bangkok . Dec. 1 G,472 The distances given are in a direct line from point to point. It is probible that-in so'iie cases Ross Smith has not flown in a direct lino, so that tlio actual distance? covered may' be greater than that shown. COMPETITORS' PROGRESS. There are. now four aeroplanes in flight to Australia. Etienne ,'Poulet, a rreiioh aviator, was the first to start. Be left Paris on October M. and has reached India, via Rome. Brindisi, Salonika, Constantinople, Asia Minor. Bagdad, and the Persian Gulf. Ho is not eh<r:!>lo for the prize of £IO.OOO offered by the Commonwealth' Government for the first flight to Australia, as the competition is restricted to Australian, airmen. Poulet states that his is purely a sporting venture. He ia using a Caudron G4 machine fitted for , a non-stop flight of IS or 14 hours. Tt has two rotary 80 horse-no wer engines. He has with him onlv a mechanic. Captain G. C. Matthews, who Is • piloting a Sopwith machine, was the first Australian competitor to leave .England. He started from Hounslow on October 21, accompanied by Sergeant Kay, as mechanic, and arrived at Cologne on October 22. Since then he has' been weather bound on the Eliine, and according to the latest cabled report he is at Dagsburg, near fetrasrourg, in Alsace. Cnrtau Ross Smith, piloting a Yickera-\ 'in • ,-yachine. and accompanied by ins hi-c-.s-. Lieutenant Keith Smith, ai.il it- mechanics. Serjeants J. "\f Bcincit and W. H. Shiers, left London on November 12. Travelling by *;ny oi Rome, Crete. Cairo. LlamaM-usi, Lagdad and the Persian Gulf, be reached Delhi on November 25. Calcutta on iWember 28. and Rangoon on November 30—within eighteen davs of his start. This leaves him twelve davs m which to reach Australia and oiialifv for the Commonwealth Government's prizes. The terms of the comnet'tion stipulate that the flight must be rornpleted withm 720 consecutive hours. Captain Roos Smith has'alreadv travelJed approximately 5730 miles, "and has about 5170 miles further to so before ho reaches the Australian coast The voyngft before him is the most arduous part of the nndortnkir«? for the route from. Rangoon to Port Darwin, via the Straits Settlements and tho Dutch H-ast Indies, is almost destitute of aerodromes. The l aa fc rnnchino to start on the fiVht was the Blackburn Kanearoo, miuinpd bv Wilkins. Lieut«ni nnt V Rond'e. Lieutenant O. R Wilwl T r " : ««**nant G. H. Potts, v.'uh left London on November 21. a (ving into a heavy snowstorm it was obliged to descend at Romillv. 62 milen oast of Pans, the same "day. He renchecl Lyons on November *2o, St Raphael on November 29. Pisa the TOino day and Rome on November 30.