ATTEMPT ON AIR RECORD THIS WEEK

Chronicle (Levin), 21 August 1946, Page 2

ATTEMPT ON AIR RECORD THIS WEEK

. * WELLINGTON, August 20. ; The 1J.A.F. Laneestcr " Aries" ■\vhieh | is seheduled to ieave Englaud at noou ■ tomorrcnv (G.Al'.T.) on a navigational | flight to N cw Zealand, in an attenipi ! to break the existing record for the | Kngland-New Zealand trip, av i 1 1 make 1 only two stops, each of one liour's duration, one at Bombay and the other al j Darwin. The aircraft is dije at Ohakea j at noon New Zealand timo on Saturday, 1 If this sehedule is adhered to, ihe iiighi j will occupy ('() lioui's and will be weir within the existing rccord. ' The niain purpose of the llight, liowever, is, aceording to a stateihent oy the Pr.iuie Minister's department, to be a navigational one. The aircraft will carry a inission from the Einpire Air i Navigational Scliool at Sliawbury, Eng- ] land, headed by Air-Commodpre U'Aeth, 1 'c o m m a n d a n ^ "o f ' sbh o 61 / J ' T h6J ^hrid1 will include Group Captain Staplotonj iAif yiinistry representutive, and the captain of the aircraft is Sqnadrom Leader Aldridge. Other officcrs and , niembers of Llio crew are all K.A.F. per-^ •sonuel excopt PJight-Lieuti J. J. AlcDowell, H.B.E., of Christchurch, who will he socoiul uavigator and is at present K.N.Z.A.F. representati vo at the Empire Air Navigation School. The Aries luts alrendy made many famous tlights, including a flight over ■ the North Hagnetic? l'ole and a rccord llight from Eugland to Captown, canying 4H00 galions of fue). She is capablo of criiising for 23 consecutive hours- at 241) m.p.h. without refuelling. The Aries will remain in New Zealand for only a short timo.