RECORDS BROKEN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 39, 15 January 1946, Page 2

RECORDS BROKEN

GLIDER FLIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA TWO SYDNEY AMATEURS Glider height and distance records have been broken in remarkable Gull sail-plane flights by two Sydney amateurs. An altitude of 9000 ft. was reached in a flight from Perilderie (N.S.W.) to Essendon (Vic.) recently and a plane covered the 205 miles from Parkes to Jerilderie.

Greatest altitude pi'eviously was 3700 ft.„ attained by Kl Davies, of Kew (Vic.), on August 25, 1938 and recorded by the Gliding Association of Australia.

Previously Australian distance re' cord of 105 miles is claimed by L. Schultz, also of Sydney. Martin Warner was 7to hours in the air- leaving Parkes at l(sJh(.m\ and touching down at Jerilderie. at 5.30 p.m.

Harry Ryan covered the 165 miles from Jerilderie to Esendon in two hours five minutes, and was 9000 ft. over Shepparton.

Australian duration record of 9 hours 51 minutes was made by C. Lambeth, of Footscray (Vic.) World’s record long flight was that of a German, Lieutenant Dinort who stayed aloft for more than 14 hours in 1929.

Mr Bryan, whose speedy trip was aided by brisk northerly winds, had a cool reception at Essendon. The manner in which he landed his sailplane earned the disapproval of the Civil Aviation authorities. He was 6500 ft. over Footscray when he decided to land.

“Essendon was the only landing ground I knew,, and with the high Wind blowing I just made it,” he said. ■ /

His arrival caused excitement at the aerodrome. According to R.A.A.F. men, Ryan raced with the wind at about 60 or 70 m.p.h., turned with one wing-tip almost touching the gi'ound and set the glider down with a run of about ten yards.