BY AIR TO AUCKLAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 90, 16 April 1929, Page 8

BY AIR TO AUCKLAND

FLIGHT MADE YESTERDAY TEN HOURS FROM WIGRAM [ Special ‘'Chronicle” Service ] AUCKLAND, April 15. To breakfast in Christchurch and sit down to early tea in Auckland, was the experience to-day of Major G. a. C. Cowper, instructor for the -Auckland Aero Club and Mr Spencer Mason, a member of the committee. The flight was made in the second Gipsy Moth machine allocated by the Government to the Auckland Chib and only eight hours were spent ir. the air, the time for the whole journey of over 550 miles being 10 hours 40 minutes. Although the performance established a record for one-day flights in the Dominion, it was neither an endurance test nor a speed exhibition. The journey was accomplished without fatigue or hard pressing, the Aloth travelling at all times with a large reof power. The flight gave a vivid indication of the fashion in which air trausprt is upsetting the old standards of speed and distance. The Aloth left Wigram aerodrome at 6.30 a.in. with a light following wine. The coast was followed up to Cape Campbell, where a turn in to Blenheim was made. A landing was effected at 8.40 a.m., and the Aloth left Blenheim again at 10.15 a.m.. Cook Strait xvas crossed and the West Coast xvas then followed. Conditions improved over Wanganui and a landing was made at Haxvera at 1.15 p.rn, after a “hop” of three hours and 10 minutes. The machine. took off at 2.30 p.m and landed at Mangere at 5.10 P-ui. Air speeds ranged from 60 to 70 miles an hour.

“One could never be lukew’arm about aviation after such a trip,’’ saift Air Alason last evening. “We xvere not running against the clock or forcing the pace.’’ He added: “It was an exceedingly comfortable trip, and from a passenger’s point of view it xvas certainly less tiring than a day’s motoring.”