O’HARA HOPS OFF

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 241, 18 October 1935, Page 5

O’HARA HOPS OFF

Trans-Tasman Flight DUE THIS AFTERNOON AT 5.30 NEW PLYMOUTH HIS OBJECTIVE (Per Press Association.) NE»v PLYMOUTH, This Day. Mr. S. E. Nielson, secretary to the New Plymouth Aero Club, has received cabled advice that Mr. W. M. O’Hara (“Pilot X”), in the “Zealandia’* (KlemmEagle monoplane) is expected to hind at the New Plyniouth airport at about 5.30 p.m. to-day. It was requested that flares be made ready lin case of a night landing. LEFT SYDNEY THIS MORNING FUEL MARGIN ONLY TWO HOURS By Telegraph— Cwoynght—Press Assn. SYDNEY, Oct. 17. Mr. W. M. O'Hara flew from Mascot to Richmond aerodrome to-day, whence he will begin his flight to New Zealand at 3 o'clock to-morrow morning without an extra loading of petrol, which the Aviation Department disallowed; Mr. O’Hara thus has a fuel margin of only two hours. Weather conditions for the flight I are reported to be favourable. He I hopes to reach New Zealand at 3.30 ! p.m. New Zealand time. He ,s taking a rubber boat and emergency ration::, but no radio. Earlier.—Mr. O'Hara, following a telephone conversation with Captain |E. C. Johnston, Controller of Civil ; Aviation, at Melbourne, said he expected the authorities would allow him to fly to New Zealand if his plane was not overloaded. Without overloading he would have a range of 13 flying hours. He had hoped to carry enough petrol for 18 hours flying in case of head winds or deviations from his course. He thought he could reach New Zealand in II I hours, but some margin was essen- | tial. Mr. O'Hara said that his reason for desiring to be anonymous was that his mother, w T ho is in New Zealand, might be worried during the flight. If he accomplishes the trahs-Tas-man flights Mr. O’Hara plans to fly to Perth, thence round North-West Australia and across the Timor Sea home to Java.

He has named his ’plane “Zealandia,’’ which he says embodies the sentiment he feels towards his native New Zealand and also pays a tribute to the Dutch.