FLYING SCIENTISTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 185, 23 August 1937, Page 6

FLYING SCIENTISTS

i Our Own Correspondent.)

Air Expedition To New Guinea

(From

SAN FRANCISLU, July zo. An 8000-mHe iiiglit from California to New Guinea will be inaile by a party oi' American scientists within 1 tho next two or three months. The scientists, who aro working ior tlie American Museum of Natural History, plan to spend a .year in New Guinea exploring and. collecting specini'ens in country not yet penetrated by white men. The special navy flying-boat which will make the long ocean flight, and which will also be used in New Guinea, is now being built at San Diego, California. As soon as the boat is completed, the scientists and flying staff wili set out for Guam, a United States island south-east of Asia, where they will turn south and fly direct to New Guinea. It will be the first time thia flight has been made. Aluch of the exploration and all the collecting will be done on foot, but the flying-boat will be used as an advanced scout, finding suitable routes through the jungle for the walking parties to follow. Food and other supplies will be dropped to the giround parties by parachute. Over areas which cannot be reached on the ground, the aeroplane will do extensive photographic mapping.