HINKLER AT MALTA

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 113, 10 February 1928, Page 9

HINKLER AT MALTA

STIRRING FLIGHT FROM ROME ESCAPES WIRELESS MASTS By Telegraph.—Press Association. Copyright. (Rec. February 9, 9.15 p.m.) London, February 9. A message from Hinkler at Malta states that he was over the sea during practically the whole flight from Rome, whence he arrived at 3 o'clock. He adds: “Had a good sniff of the Vesuvius fumes, while the machine bumped about violently. The R.A.F. here is extremelv good. My landing at Rome last night was based on my memory of landing eight years ago with a Baby Avro. I remembered the > erodrome and wireless masts, and it gave me a eeling of horror this morning to see more' high wireless masts to which I must have flown close in the darkness.” Rugby, February 8. The well-known racing pilot, Mr. Bert Hinkler, who left Croydon yesterday in an attempt to make a solo flight to his home in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, in less than 28 days, which was the time taken by the Smith brothers in 1919, arrived at Rome in the afternoon. Hinkler is flying a light aeroplane, Avro Avian, fitted with a Cirrus air-cooled engine of 30 horsepower nominal and 80 horse-power actual. Hinkler has no fixed time-table, but he intends to allow himself seven rest days and to fly about "00 to 1100 miles each flying day. He believes that he may be able to reach Port Darwin on the eighteenth day. As the average speed of the small machine is only 80 miles an hour, the flight will be a severe test of endurance for the pilot as well as for the engine and machine. —British Official Wireless. LINDBERGH AT HAVANA Havana, Februarv 8. Colonel Lindbergh arrived, completing his Latin-American “good will” flight. Ignoring a leaky valve,, he flew 720 miles from Port an Prince, Haiti, keeping ahead of schedule time all the way. He was received by President Machado of Cuba, Mr. C. E. Hughes, and other delegates to the Pan-Ameri-can Conference, of which the countries represented are expected to be influenced io further co-operation by his presence. FRENCH FLYERS REACH WASHINGTON Washington, Februarv 8. Captain Joseph Costes and Lieutenant Dieudonne Le Brix arrived from Alabama after a flight described as dangerous. They were met by Mr. Curtis Wilbur (Secretary of the Navy), Mr. Dwight Davis (Secretary of War), the French Ambassador (M. Claudel), and others. THE SMITHS’ LOG Sydney, February 10. Sir Keith Smith luis presented .Mr Bruce, for placing in the historic records of the Museum, a log of the flight from England to Australia made by the, late Sir Ross Smith and him- • self in 1919.