HINKLER’S FEAT.

Evening Star, Issue 19798, 23 February 1928, Page 6

HINKLER’S FEAT.

In Hying from London to Darwin in bis light British Avro-Aviau aeroplane in fifteen and a-half days Mr Bert Hinkler, who is an Australian, has performed a great feat. The journey has been made before several times by air. Sir Ross Smith and his brother, Sir Keith Smith, were the first to make it as long as nine years ago. They were followed by two other Australians, Parer and MHnlosli, a’nd in 1926 Sir Man Cobhaiu was the first to make the return journey. The Italian, Do Pineda, lias also the credit of having flown to Australia. The features of Hinkler’s Right have been the apparent case with which he has made it, unaccompanied, in one of the smallest machines, and the speed of his journey. Only one and a-half days less are allowed in the official estimates of the time that might bo hoped to be attained, without night flying, by a regular service, consisting of relays of aeroplanes. The time taken by the Smith brothers, tho pioneers of the flight, was twenty-nine days. Sir Alan Cobliam took thirty-seven, but he was unfortunate. He was delayed lor eight days in Basra owing to tho death of his mechanic, killed by the shot of a wandering Arab who saw his aeroplane flying low and levelled his gun at it. Sir Alan took twenty-nine days on bis return journey. Though it was a new craft to him the British airman, after mature consideration, chose a seaplane for his adventure. Ho remembered that the Smith brothers, on their flight, again and again were in grave difficulties with waterlogged aeroplanes, and special tracks of malting had on occasion to bo laid down and roped together to enable them to rise again into the air. Sir Alan avoided those difficulties by taking advantage of tho natural aerodrome of the sea, and, whereas his predecessors bad to fly for hundreds of mileo over country in which a forced landing inevitably, meant a crash, lie had the opportunity ot skirting the coastline, secure in the knowledge ..nit in reasonable conditions at sea he could land anywhere and depart again when ho wished. Wo have heard nothing of misadventures on Mr Hinkler’s journey. His flight seems to have gone smoothly from first to last, though it was not made in a seaplane. He had mixed weather throughout his flight, and met w'th violent nun storms. In his British machine he has achieved the record of the longest solo flight ever made, and ho has cut down tho time of the Lon-doti-Australia flight by something app;caching half. He deserves the unstinted welcome that is certain to be given to him by bis countrymen.