ENGLAND-AUSTRALIA

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18023, 19 May 1930, Page 7

ENGLAND-AUSTRALIA

MISS JOHNSON’S FLIGHT. ARRIVAL AT \ SINGAPORE. THREE HOURS IN THE CL'OUDS. United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright. LONDON, May 17. Miss Amy Johnson left Bangkok at 6.30 aim. yesterday for Singapore, via Singora, Malay Peninsula, about 440 miles to the south. She arrived there safely and stayed the night. She left for Singapore (a distance of 460 miles) this forning, and landed there at 2.10 p.m. When Miss Johnson left Rangoon for Bangkok on Friday morning in her Moth aeroplane “Jason’s Quest,” she encountered blinding rain. She headed in the direction of Moulmein, South Burma, in order to find a pass through the - mountains. She was faced with nothing but clouds and rain and could not find the pass. Miss Johnson rose to an altitude of 9000 feet and tried to cross the mountains blindly. Then she turned north, -and flew first to the right and then to the left, trying to get throughAt last she came into clear weather, and found herself still on the Burma side of the mountains. The intrepid girl had another try, and this time came out on the Siam side of the mountains, but her position was not on her map, and she could not pick up any landmarks. ■For three hours she was still surrounded by heavy clouds, and she said she was becoming frightfully worried when she saw a railway junction at Nopth Ayuthia. She found its position on her map, and the rest was easy. When she arrived at Bangkok she seemed to be really exhausted. The plucky girl’s feat still thrills the whole country. That men are among those who are thrilled is revealed by a letter received by her parents today. The writer speaks in enthusiastic terms of her qualities, and signs himself, “A Hopeful Bachelor.” The many congratulatory letters which have reached Miss Johnsons home at Hull include an offer of marriage, but her father says no man has any chance with Amy while there, is an earoplane about. She 'is hoping to secure a post as an air mail pilot when she returns to England.

IN BETTER SPIRITS.

DANGERS OF MONSOONS REALISED TROUBLE OVER . (’FINANCE. LONDON, May 17. The Daily Express’ special correspondent at Rangoon states that when Miss Johnson started she was in better spirits but still chagrined at the loss of time. She has now got over her girlish impulse to -blame her directions and maps for landing at Insein. She repeated over and -over again: “ Everybody here has done everything and I’m grateful. I’ve only myself to blame for the loss of time. How on earth I mistook Insein for Rangoon I don’t know, but since I mistook the place and damaged the machine I landed at the best place, which adjoins the engineering workshops of the Government Technical Institute.” She is still amused at the dexterity with which she alighted between the goal-posts of the football ground. Mis Johnson is fully alive to the perils of the monsoon, and realises that she was lucky to get through the opening storms. She is disinclined to return by the same route until after the monsoon. Embittered over Finance. She appeared aibsoluteiy unconcerned at the prospect of the perils which may await her between here and Australia, and laughingly remarked: “I must get within reach of that purse the Australians are./so wonfully collecting for me, anyhow.” On the subject of financing her fight she is somewhat embittere’d. “The story that my father is rich is quite wrong. We are . only comfortably off. I had the greatest difficulty in getting the small sum needed to start the flight. Now dozens of people are telegraphing offers of much larger sums for books, lectures, and all sorts of things. England only wants to support a ready-made success.

“ Before I became as successful as I now am I was so fed up with the impossibility of getting any support that I nearly decided to avoid the natonal aspect of my attempt, even to the extent of flying a foreign machine. Apart from the -money aspect I am delighted to have brought success to my country. I am doing this flight for propaganda —purely personal—propaganda. I a'm dead keen on flying, and I want thousands of my generation to be equally keen. Don’t think I do not realise that I am risking my neck. That storm between Akyab and Rangoon w T as the most ghastly experience.” Complaint Not Quite True. The Daily Express editorial refers to the ilnancial complaint'. After referring to the “ romantic and quite indomitable little heroine,” it says, “Her complaint that England only w r ants to support a ready'-inade success is not quite true. Anyone might, rightly decline to llnance an enterprise such as hers, the foolhardiness of which will only he forgotten if it proves a brilliant success. Besides, it not good for inventors, pioneers and 22-year-old girls who want to fly to Australia that the path should be -made too easy. Anyway, the applause and good wishes of all her fellow-citizens are with her, and will ‘support ’ her on the last stage.”

LATER

ARRIVAL AT SINGAPORE. \ AUSTRALIA IN 2J DAYS. A PERFECT LANDING. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received May 111, 11 a.m.j SINGAPORE, May 18. Miss Amy Johnson made a perfect landing, having covered 460 miles in six hours. She said: “It is now quite impossible to beat the record, I hope to reach Australia in 24 days, but if I encounter a head wind it may be three or 31 days.” ' She would have beaten Hinkler by two days barring the accident at Rangoon. She Is now one day behind owing to taking two day's from Bangkok to Singapore. She expected to cover that thousand miles in one day, but head (Continued in next column.)

winds, rainstorms, and poor visibility compelled her to land at Singora. The flight over the jungle worried her because ’of the possibility of a forced landing. She stated that the worst part of the flight was from Calcutta to Singapore. A spare propellor was used from Rangoon, and she was unable to fly at full speed or she would have overheated the engine. She will leave for Sourahaya tomorrow.

She may attempt to beat Hinkler’s record next year.

INTREPID GIRL’S AMBITION.

FURTHER SCRUPLES OVERCOME. (Received May 19, 9.30 a.m.) 1 LONDON, May 18Miss Amy Johnson’s eighteen-year-old sister Molly, tells the Sunday Express how Amy, bored with work in a solicitor’s ofllce, thought she would like to be an aeroplane saleswoman. She gained her certificate as ground engineer, went home, called a family conference, produced a map, put her finger on Australia, and said “ I want to fly there.” Eventually father surrendered and bought the machine Amy is now using.

DEPARTURE FROM SINGAPORE.

SOURABAYA THE NEXT STOP.

(Received May 19, 2 p.m.) SINGAPORE, May 19. Miss Amy Johnson has left for Sourabaya. Miss Johnson's recor/ to date is:— May s—Left Croydon and arrived Vienna. May 6—Arrived Constantinople. May 7—Arrived Aleppo. May B—Arrived8 —Arrived Bagdad. May 9—Arrived Bunder /Abbas. May 10 —-Arrived Karachi. May 11 —Arrived Allahabad. May 12—-Arrived Calcutta. May 13—Arrived Insein, near Rangoon. May 14 and 15—Delayed for repairs. May 16 —Arrived Bangkok. May 17—Arrived Singora. May 18—Arrived Singapore. May 18—Departed for Sourabaya.