FLEW MOTH ACROSS TO TASMANIA IN TEETH OF GALE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18451, 30 April 1928, Page 8

FLEW MOTH ACROSS TO TASMANIA IN TEETH OF GALE.

LANCASTER AND MRS MILLER MAKE TRIP. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received April 30. 10.30 a.m.) LAUNCESTON, April 30. Captain Lancaster and Mrs Miller flew across the Straits from Melbourne to Launceston in six and a half hours, in the teeth of a severe gale, despite an adverse weather forecast. —Australian Press Association. SKILL AND PLUCK. The flight of Captain Lancaster and Mrs Miller from London to Australia, while it has been overshadowed by more brilliant events, remains an achievement worthy to rank with the best in aviation records (said a Melbourne paper recently). No other woman has travelled in an aeroplane on anything like such a long journey, nor under such strenuous conditions. The flight hael made splendid progress until Muntok was reached in December, when an unfortunate crash occurred. Captain Lancaster. Royal Air Force Reserve, and Mrs Miller, who is the wife of a Melbourne journalist, left London on October 14 in an Avro Avian dual control light aeroplane. Mrs Miller went to England for a holiday trip last April, and showed her enterprise by paying for her passage from commissioiys earned by the sale of suction cleaners in Melbourne. Captain Lancaster is well known in Hay (N.S.W.). He came to Australia from England with his brother Jack when they were both in their ‘teens, to gain Australian experience. He was for a time employed at a general store in Hay, and later at a draper's shop In 1916, the brothers struck out in business for themselves. Then they enlisted and served first with the Field Engineers, afterwards being transferred to a flying school.

They were among the first pilots who qualified from the A.I.F. ranks. Both had successful careers in the Flying Corps, and came safely through the