AIR TRAVEL O’ER LAND AND SEA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18639, 17 December 1928, Page 3

AIR TRAVEL O’ER LAND AND SEA.

NOTES AND COMMENTS ON MODERN FLYING. (Bv "STRUT.") The Schneider Cup. The Schneider Cup race is to be flown in the Solent next year. The last and tenth contest for the Schneider trophy, which was given by M. Jacques Schneider, in 1913, to the Aero Club of France, for an annual speed test between seaplanes of any nationality, each country being allowed a maximum of three planes, was held at Venice on September 26, 1927. The contest resulted in a win for Britain. Flight-Lieuten-ant S. N. Webster w r as the actual winner, he and Flight-Lieutenant P. E. Worsley being the only two to complete the course. Each flew in a special Super-marine-Napier S 5. The corrected time of Webster’s flight was given as 46min 20.285ec. His average speed was 281 miles 756 yards an hour. Lieutenant Webster also flew the fastest lap at a speed of 284.5 miles an hour. Lieutenant Webster was later killed during a high-speed trial on the Solent. It is likeljr that Flight-Lieutenant D’Arcy Greig will be Britain’s principal representative next year. Fie has already made an attempt to break the world’s record, missing by a narrow margin. America is preparing a trio of special “hush-hush” machines for the race.

Municipal Aerodromes. The need for municipal aerodromes is not being lost sight of in England. Both Manchester and Sheffield are working on definite schemes. The Lord Mayor of Manchester (Councillor William Davy) has been informed that the Air Ministry had sanctioned the use of Chat Moss as an aerodrome for the city. In announcing this fact to a “Manchester Guardian” representative the Lord Mayor explained that the Ministry wished to be informed immediately the aerodrome was ready for inspection. The special committee, he said, which had been appointed to report to the City Council would now lose no time in getting on with their work, and he hoped that in the near future a really useful service would be established between the Continent and the first municipal air-port in the country.

A preliminary step towards the establishment of a municipal aerodrome in Sheffield has been taken by the City Council adopting a resolution that application be made to the Ministry of Health for provisional orders to authorise the compulsory acquisition of land at Coal Aston. The corporation is giving serious consideration to a circular from the Air Ministry, which makes a powerful appeal to local authorities to provide aerodromes and landing grounds for civil flying. Auckland Aero Club. A large silver cup has been presented to the Auckland Aero Club by Mr E. Kohn as a trophy to be competed for annually by flying members. With the cup, Mr Kohn has also given miniatures which will become the property of the successful competitors. The nature of the competition has not yet been decided, but it has been suggested that it should take the form of tests in landings, the cup to go to the member who makes the three best landings from 6000 ft. The idea behind the suggestion is that encouragement should be given to safe flying. Although it is still awaiting the arrival of aeroplanes, the Auckland Club is now the second largest cl»b of its kind in Australia and New Zealand. With a membership total of 403, including seventy-two pupils who are to receive instruction as soon as the ’planes come to hand, it yields pride of place so far as strength is concerned only to the Sydney Aero Club. When the club will be in possession of machines is a point concerning which the committee has not been able to obtain definite information, but it is expected that the two Moths which are being provided by the Government will be to hgnd next month. In addition, there is a Moth which has been ordered by the club and the Gipsy-Moth which has been presented by the proprietors of the “Herald.” The club has not yet been advised of the shipment of its ’plane; the “Herald’s” gift is expected to arrive in February. Besides these machines, in addition to Auckland’s air fleet will be a Blackburn-Blue bird amphibious light plane, which has been ordered by Mr H. T. Merritt. It is due in Auckland about the end of January and it is to be followed later in the year by an all-metal ’plane of a similar type.

Pending the arrival of the ’planes, the club’s ground at Mangene is to receive attention. The instructor. Major G. A. C. Cooper, takes up his residence at the aerodrome this week, and will superintend the clearing and laying out of the field.

Flight to India. Baron Konig, the German airman, recently arrived at Karachi on the com pletion of his flight from Berlin tc India in a 20 h.p. “ Baby ” monoplane. The airman, who is twenty-two years of age, only recently took out his pilot’s certificate and made a flight of 1200 miles between Berlin and Moscow. After a stay of a week at Karachi Baron Konig was to fly to Calcutta, via Lahore, Peshawar and Delhi. He may then visit the Far East with the object of testing the capabilities of his machine under varying climatic conditions. Motor-Coach and Aeroplane Joint Travel. While the British railway companies are contemplating the idea of seeking Parliamentary favour to operate w r ith the air either themselves as railway companies or by extended operation with the big air lines, the motor-coach companies are taking action. An initial road and air service will be put into operation within the next few

The starting-point of this service is to be Newcastle-on-Tvne, from which city a road sleeper coach will depart at 10 p.m. and reach London at 7 a.m. The passengers will thus be enabled to arrive at Croydon Aerodrome in time to catch the aeroplanes which leave lor Paris and Amsterdam at 8 a.m. These air liners are due at both places at 10.30 a.m., while Berlin woulil be reached at 5 p.m. It is difficult to conceive that there can be many people every day in Newcastle panting to travel by aeroplane to the Continent, but no doubt other places will link up. and such a service may develop. The railways were approached bv Imperial Airways some months ago. but showed no interest in an air-rail arrangement. Moreover, the Railway Clearing-house refused to consider a proposal to co-oper-ate in the fixing of combined rail and air tickets for freight and passengers.

Air Routes for Africa. New projects for British air routes across Africa were described recently by Sir Alan Cobham, when he adressed the recently formed Oxford University branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society. “ Looking at the map of Africa,” he said. “ it is easily seen that the ‘ AllRed Route' from Alexandria to Cape

Town offers a unique opportunity to British enterprise. The route has been flown over dozens of times, and I am associated at present with a company which contemplates establishing a regular service throughout its entire length. The main route will enable mails to reach Central Africa from England in less than half the time that they take at present. It will enable people living there to save a similar amount of time in getting home and others to travel out from England to see the new countries or to visit friends. There is a possibility that gold and diamonds will eventuallv be transported bv air from South Africa to Europe and the East, and a connection is already planned with the Belgian gold mines situated just of Lake Albert for a similar purpose. “On each of the three great lakes of Central Africa—Victoria Nyanza, Tangayika and Nyassa—and on the River Zambesi employment will be found eventually ior flying boats or seaplanes carrying out an aerial coasting trade. There will eventually be a flying-boat route from England traversing the ivhole of the west coast, calling at ports in each of the four colonies, and continuing to Cape Town. In the near future development is likely to take place on the lines of taxi work, aerial photography, and private-owner flving in each territory separately.” In considering the possibilities of British air routes, he added, one must remember that other countries had a very great interest in Africa. The French and Belgians were already cooperating with a view to connecting Madagascar and the Portuguese territories via the Belgian Congo with Europe. It would be a calamity if S * ir lines were established before the All-Red Route, as the first nation in the field would naturally establish business connections and <*et the pick of air traffic for many years to come.