NON-STOP FLIGHT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 30, 29 October 1937, Page 9

NON-STOP FLIGHT

-Press Association.)

Rhodes Scholar as Patient by Ambulance Plane STRICKEN BY PARALYSIS

(By Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, Last Night, A high-speed flight from Mangere to Wigram and back to convey an invalid to Christchurch and to bring back to Auckland a Rhodes scholar who was stricken by infantile paralysis was tnade by the Auckland Aero Club'a ambulance aeroplane to-day. The machine was away from Mangere for snly seven hours 35 minutes, and the actual flying timo was seven hours, the trip southward occupying three hours 15 minutes and the return flight thrce hours 15 minutes. Flown by Mr, WA J. Sexton, ihe Beechcraft took off from Mangere at 10.40 o'clock. The passengers were Mrs. C. A. Hardy, who was in ill-health, and her daughter, Mrs. K. Bailey, Special permission was obtaiued from the Controller of Civil Aviation, Wing- . Commander T, M. Wilkcs, to mako a I non-stop trip instead of landing at ! either Wellington or Blenheim to be checked in after crossing Cook Strait as is normally required. In view of tho patienfs condition it was desirable to j fly non-stop, and this course was followed. On the return trip the Beechcraft carried Mr, C. C. J. Dalton, who was selected as oue of the New Zealand Rhodes scholars for 1936, and who subsequently contractod infantile paralysis shortly before he was to leave for Oxford to take a resoarrh course in engineering. A pr.nrinent athlete and student, Mr, Dalton was comp-eting his bachelor of engineering course at Canterbury College in May when he t.-e-came ill. He has since been a patient in Christchurch. On arrival at Mangere at 6.30 to-night the Beechcraft was met by an ambulance, which took Mr. Dalton to the Auckland Hospital for; further treatment.