SEARCH FOR BODY OF FLYER ABANDONED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19154, 21 August 1930, Page 1

SEARCH FOR BODY OF FLYER ABANDONED.

VAN LEAR BLACK FELL OVERBOARD FROM YACHT

(United Frees Assn.—By Electrio Telegraph—Copy ri gh t.) (Received August 21, 11.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, August 19. The search for the body of Mr van Lear Black, who apparently fell overboard from the deck rail of his yacht on Monday evening, ■was abandoned to-day.

MISSING AIRMAN HAD REMARKABLE CAREER.

LONDON, August 19. News of Mr Van Lear Black’s disappearance was received in London with regret. The newspapers recall his sensational flights over

Europe at the be-, ginning of 1927, many of which were, remarkable. He was’ fifty-two when he began flying, and must have since spent a fortune on aviation. He had two machines built at a cost of £IO,OOO each. His aim always was to demonstrate the , value of commere-

cial as opposed to spectacular flying, to show what could be accomplished by the ordinary business man. He must have flown hundreds of thousands of miles. The most casual way in which he accomplished his difficult flight from Holland to Java, in a single-engined machine, so impressed the Dutch public that the}' were led to start a regular Dutch air mail route to the East Indies. Mr Y’an Lear Black always flew in an ordinary lounge suit with evening clothes in his baggage and a personal valet. He spent much time in the air reading and writing. He always carried a good supply of newspapers because he found that a gift of the latest news was most acceptable and was the surest passport at any outlandish spot.