NEW POSSIBILITIES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 118, 16 February 1928, Page 9

NEW POSSIBILITIES

♦ OPENED BY HINKLER’S FLIGHT CHEAP JOURNEY TO INDIA BY TELEGBAPH.—PBESS ASSOCIATION. CoPYRIGH*. Rugby, February 14. Captain Bert Hinkler arrived to-day at Karachi, India, on his flight to Australia in an Avro-Avian light aeroplane. To have flown from England to India in seven days undoubtedly ranks as one of the finest feats of aviation yet performed. The flight opens up entirely new possibilities, as most of the big transcontinental flights have been accomplished by special high-powered machines. Hinkler’s iqacliine is exactly the same as the machine used by many private owners and flying clubs. The journey to India by air in such a machine proves to be the cheapest way of getting there, for the running costs of the machine, including petrol, oil, and housing, are stated not to have exceeded £2O. Hinkler hopes to reach Australia in eighteen days.—British Official Wireless. INTEREST AWAKENED IN TRIP London, February 14. “Hustling Hinkler” is the _ Press headline in the sudden awakening of interest in the Australian’s remarkable record-breaking journey to Karachi in just over a week, which is generally acclaimed as one of the finest feats in aviation. The designers of the engine say that the fuel and incidentals could not cost more than £25, which makes it probably the cheapest journey ever made to India. The last thing Hinkler thinks of is himself. He never has a hamper, just a cake of chocolate, a couple of sandwiches, and a thermos flask of coffee. An intimate friend said he hoped that Hinkler would not over-exert himself and get drowsy in the air, but it is recalled that Hinkler once attempted to take up a new machine 20,000 feet without a respirator. He felt himself becoming insensible, but instinctively brought the machine down safely.

TO FLY OVER NORTH POLE WILKINS’S THIRD START Seattle, February 14. Captain Wilkins has begun his third attempt to fly over the Arctic Ocean and the North Pole. Wilkins is proceeding to Alaska aboard the steamship Yukon, accompanied by Pilot Filsen, with a ’plane, equipment, and supplies for a six months’ expedition. Before his departure Captain Wilkins said that he would attempt a 2100mile flight from Point Barrow across the Pole to Spitzbergen this spring. NEED OF AERIAL PIONEERS PHILOSOPHIC VIEW OF LINDBERGH (Rec.' February 15, 7.50 p.m.) New York, February 14. On hearing at St. Louis that the Secretary for War, Air. D. F. Davis, intended to ask him to forgo future experimental flights and confine his aerial actiity to ordinary flying, Colonel Lindbergh said: “There must be pioneers and some of them are killed. If it happens that I am killed doing these things, I am willing to make this sacrifice.” BRITISH COMMERCIAL FLYING BOAT Rugby, February 14. The first British commercial flying boat, specially designed for service in the tropics, has been launched at Short Brothers’ seaplane works, Rochester. It has luxurious accommodation for 15 passengers and is driven by three 485 horse-power Bristol Jupiter air-cooled engines. The seaplane fully loaded weighs over 9 tons, and has a speed of 120 miles an hour and a range of 740 miles.—British Official Wireless.