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“FINEST FLIGHT IN HISTORY”

HINKLER’S AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT TRIUMPH FOR AUSTRALIAN MANHOOD AND BRITISH ENGINEERING STARTS FOR BUNDABERG TO-DAY Hinkler’s wonderful solo record-breaking flight from London to Australia is regarded as the most important news of the day by the London Press, which displayed it accordingly. The flight is described as the finest flight in history, and is regarded as a'triumph for Australian manhood and British engineering.

Darwin, February 23. Having covered the journey from England to Australia in sixteen days, Hinkler has created a record for the trip. He was readv to start from Bima at 4 o’clock in the morning, and had a tricky climb over the mountains of Sumbawa with a full load. He then made for the open sea, passed over Kupang about 10.30 a.m., but did not stop in Timor. Hinkler’s first sight of Australia was Bathurst Island at 5.40 p.m., after having covered nearly a thousand miles during the day.

An enthusiastic crowd greeted him at Darwin. On alighting he was presented with a bag containing 47(5 telegrams. He had had nothing to eat since 7 in the morning. He felt sleepy, but otherwise was as fit as a fidoie. The average speed from Bima was 92 miles an hour. He had good weather all the way. LEAVING FOR BUNDABERG 1 TO-DAY (Rec. February 23, 8.45 p.m.) Darwin, February 23. Hinkler is resting to-day, and is overhauling his machine. He starts at dawn to-morrow for Bundaberg, his home town, where he intends to settle. He hopes to do the journey of 1675 miles in two hops.

“GREATEST OF ALL AIR ACHIEVEMENTS” (Rec. February 23, 7.20 p.m.) London, February 22. The “Morning Post’s” aviation correspondent says Hinkler’s flight ranks ns the greatest of all air achievements. Nothing approaching it in magnitude has previously been attempted. Fuel costs amounted to £33. The machine is a standard one that can be bought like a motor-car by anybody for £730.

LONDON NEWSPAPERS ENTHUSIASTIC “FINEST FLIGHT IN HISTORY” (Rec. February 23, 9.35 p.m.) London, February 23. “The greatest personal triumph,” “Finest flight in history,” “Most important ever from a practical point of view”—these are phrases used by the morning papers in describing Hinkler’s achievement. All the papers regard the news as the most important of the day and display it accordingly, and its significance is stressed in the editorial columns. The “Daily Telegraph,” describing Hinkler as the hero of the hour, stresses the fact that as all has gone so smoothly one is tempted to forget the bad weather encountered and the sheer wonder of the long, lonesome adventure and the superb combination of qualities required in the airman and aero- |

plane alike. This little-advertised exploit is declared to be a real triumph for aviation in general, and for flying as a sport. The “Morning Post,” after congratulating Hinkler, says :“We must also congratulate Australia, which breeds a very hard type, and lastly British engineering, which, with Hinkler’s flight, the Schneider Cup victory, and Campbell’s record, is not only abreast of but ahead of the times.” The “Daily Herald” foresees the day when test teams will fly to and from Australia. The “Daily Express” says: “The feat makes Hinkler the unquestioned monarch of the air.” “Sporting Life” declares: “Sportsmen everywhere will join in the chorus of congratulation.” The “Dailv Chronicle” says the performance ranks among the world’s finest. “The Times” refers to the Empire’s pride in Hinkler’s feat, and expresses the opinion that it, more than anything, has opened the eyes of the public to the possibility of establishing an air mail to Australia. MILEAGE COVERED A J. C. WILLIAMSON OFER. Sydney, February 23. Hinkler covered 10,660 miles to Darwin m approximately 130 living hours. Messrs. J. C. Williamson have made him an attractive offer to appear in a vaudeville circuit. Hinkler’s failure to complete the insurance policy before leaving London robs him of over £2OOO which he would otherwise have gained. Hinkler will probably continue liis flight to-day.

A STUPENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT NO PARALLEL IN HISTORY MANY RECORDS BROKEN WONDERFUL ENGINE PERFORMANCE Rugby, February 22. Captain Hinkler to-day completed his England to Australia solo flight in his Avro-Avian Cirrus light aeroplane. The journey has been accomplished in 17 days, which easily constitutes a record, the fastest time hitherto ••eing that established by the Smith bnAers, who in 1919, with a 720 horse-power Vickers Rolls Royce seaplane, flew to Australia in 28 days. A Stupendous Achievement. When Hinkler left Croydon on February 6 lie expressed the hope that he would reach Port Darwin within 18 days, but he has improved on his own expectations, and experts here regard the flight as a stupendous achievement. News of his progress on the final stages of the flight has been awaited with some anxiety, for it was known that I the rainy season having set in, the skill of the airman and the airworthiness of his machine might be severely tested in the flight across the unfrequented seas north of Australia. If difficulties were encountered in to-day’s 920 miles flight from Bima to Darwin they had been splendidly surmounted, and with the same clockwork regularity which had marked the flight in the earlier stages, he has maintained his “hops” from Singapore through the Dutch East Indies to Australia. It is a remarkable achievement for Hinkler's aeroplane, which was not specially built for the journey, but has been in constant use for the past two years. It was designed for light aeroplane competitions in which Hinkler took part. The small Cirrus engine of 30 horse-power made at Crovdon is reported to have come through the journey without being pressed in any way. No Financial Gain for Hinkler. No big money prize awaits Hinkler. An insurance he effected assured him of £lOOO ou arrival at Darwin, but the enterprise is without any heavy financial backing, and was undertaken in a sporting spirit by the intrepid airman, who incidentally was anxious to make a visit to his mother, who resides at Bundaberg, Queensland. He will continue his flight to Bundaberg, his birthplace, where a great reception awaits him. While the completion of the journey in 17 days is itself without parallel ill history, several other records are established by the flight. If he had failed

by several thousand miles to reach his objective the flight would still have been the longest solo flight ever achieved. A further record was established when he completed the London to India section of the flight in seven days. The only new departure of his aeroplane is an undercarriage patented by. Hinkler just before he left England. One of the purposes of the flight was to test it. The aeroplane is fitted with folding wings of his own invention, and the undercarriage swings back when the wings are folded. The machine can thus be housed in a garage built for a medium-sized car and can be easily handled by one man. Folding wings usualty make a machine too heavy, and a crew of three people are necessary to manoeuvre it, but Hinkler’s sliding undercarriage prevents this. Throughout the journey he has landed the machine without any assistance. Congratulations from Sir Samuel Hoare. Sir Samuel Hoare, Secretary for Air, has expressed official appreciation in the following message:— Your flight from London to Australia in 15 days, flying unaccompanied in a light aeroplane, is one further proof of what British pilots and British aircraft can do to link up the Empire by air. Port Darwin, where Hinkler landed, is nearly 12,000 miles from Croydon by the route taken. He left Croydon at dawn on February 7, ana landed at I’ort Darwin at 6 o’clock this evening Australian time, which was equivalent to eight o’clock this morning Greenwich mean time. Thus time taken was almost exactly 15 days. Wonderful Engine Performance, Hinkler has not only easily beaten the record made by Sir Ross Smith and Sir Keith Smith, who, in 1919, flew from England to Australia in 28 days, but the manner of his doing it has been extremely remarkable. He made no big preparations; he had no financial support, and his aeroplane was not a big, high-powered machine, but an ordinary light machine such as anyone can buy for £675. For the past eighteen months, Hinkler had used this machine

tor touring England and Northern Europe. The machine had, however, proved its capability and reliability in air races, having won many prizes. Throughout the flight Hinkler received no assistance with his ’plane, not even in moving it on the ground. Never during the whole flight was it necessary to make adjustments to the engine, which is an ordinary standard 30 horse-power Cirrus, which is of itself remarkable testimony to the good workmanship of this British-made engine. The cost of the flight has been only about £5O, which is less than the cost of travelling to Australia by sea. First Non-Stop Flight to Rome. It has to be added that Hinkler incidentally made the first non-stop flight from London to Rome, and also the fastest journey between England and India. The latter he accomplished in seven days, which is of itself an epochmaking achievement. The newspapers state this evening that the insurance which was supposed to have been effected at Lloyds against Hinkler beating the record of 28 days set up by Smith brothers was never executed, and therefore lie will gain nothing fiuancialljt.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19280224.2.77

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 125, 24 February 1928, Page 9

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,559

“FINEST FLIGHT IN HISTORY” Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 125, 24 February 1928, Page 9

“FINEST FLIGHT IN HISTORY” Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 125, 24 February 1928, Page 9

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