LUCKY WOMAN PILOT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 40, 17 February 1930, Page 11

LUCKY WOMAN PILOT

MISS CLIFFORD'S -ESCAPES

(By Telegraph.) , (Special to "The Evening Post.") CHKISTCHURCH, This Day. Besides being the first club-trained woman pilot in the Dominion, Miss Aroha Clifford is now the first woman in New Zealand to own her own aeroplane. She has purchased the Avro Avian which was owned by Mr. X, Hall, of Hororata, and has taken delivery of the machine. In the- meantime the Avro Avian has been loaned to the Canterbury Aero Club by Miss Clifford. A few days ago when practising laudings Miss Clifford had' the misfortune to collide with a fence, wrecking the Moth in which she was flying. This machine belonged to the Canterbury Aero Club. The Ajvro Avian is a light twoseater aeroplane similar in type to the Moth. It was a machine of this kind in which Squadron-Leader Hinkler flew out to Australia, establishing a record which has not since been broken.

Miss Aroha Clifford had another mishap when flying a Spartan aeroplane belonging to New Zealand Airways, Ltd. When rising, the machine, which contained a passenger, failed to clear a broad hedge,- and some damage was done .to the undergear. It did not overturn, and the pilot continued tlie flight.

When returning to the aerodrome) however, Miss Clifford's aeroplan» struck a gravel pit with moro serious consequences. The occupants of the 'plane were not hurt, but about £200 worth of damage was done to it, the lower wing being broken, the propeller smashed, and the undergear damaged.

This is the second accident Miss Clifford has had within seven days.