WOMEN FLYERS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 456, 18 May 1932, Page 9

WOMEN FLYERS.

Australians Show Keenness and Courage. MISS AMY JOHNSON’S OPINION. (Special to the “ Star.”) SYDNEY, May 13. Miss Mollie Anthony, it is reported, was one of the first three women to go for a cruise round the British Isles in | the Graf Zeppelin. But a great many of her Australian sisters are interested just now in the less expensive and more dangerous sport of aeroplaning. The wonderful exploit of Amy Johnson aturally made a deep impression on the feminine mind here, and the visit of “ Elly ” Beinho-rn, the German aviatrix, who flew alone from Europe to Australia, has aroused ambition and enthusiasm once more among the Australian girls. Miss Dean-Williams has just made a courageous attempt to cut down the time-record between Sydney and Perth. She seems to have been hindered by bad weather, but it is a remarkable sign of the times that a girl should attempt to fly across Australia from east to west in three days and very nearly succeed. Of course, Miss Williams means to fiy on to England in due course. Some people are never satisfied, especially aviators. And just now Lady Chaytor, who started for Australia from London by air, but stopped at Calcutta, is flying from Melbourne to Sydney and by example and precept is encouraging all orts and conditions of women to believe that they can go and do likewise. But Lady Chaytor—who confesses to forty years and three daughters, ranging from nineteen downwards—is a great authority on fashions, and she is likely to make even more difference to Australian women in this department of existence than in the sphere of aviation. After all this, it seems rather tame to discuss Scott’s record-breaking flight from England to North Australia. He actually covered the distance from Lyrripe to Darwin in 8 days 20 hours 49 minutes—which is about half an hour better than Mollinson’s time, and beats Butler's time, by about 5 hours. It is pointed out that while scoffers may deride these solo flights as needlessly hazardous, Scott’s start from England coincided with the establishment of a regular passenger service by air from Croylon to Cape Town, but I incline to the opinion just expressed by Miss Amy Johnson, who declares that she has no patience with “ stupid stunt flights,” and urges all flying men and women to confine themselves to the more prosaic paths of commercial aviation. The adventurous Amy declares that she will never try a long flight again alone, and no doubt there is a great deal to be said for her view of the case.

NEW DANCING SHOES. If you’re going to dance this winter, dance in a pair of the beautiful floral or brocade evening shoes now showing at Du Feu and Co.’s. The. prices are very low—l3s 6d to 21s 6d. If, however, you’re a stay-at-home, we suggest slippers—-as smart as they are comfortable—at very reasonable .prices. Du Feu and Co., 757, Colombo Street, opp. Minson’s. 1973