FLIGHTS ROUND WORLD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 35, 4 November 1937, Page 7

FLIGHTS ROUND WORLD

Two American Projects LONDON, Oct. 21. Two spec'tacular xound-the-world flights are in course of preparation. Mr. Dick Merrill has arrived iu London from America with a plan for a threeday round-the-world flight. Mr. Howard Hughes, a wealthy American, plans a round-the-world flight in six days in a Sikorsky amphibian. Mr, Merrill will take off either from England or Canada, in order to evade the new United States regulations banning long-distance flights over water. Those regulations were enforced aftei the disappearance • in July of Mrs. Amelia- Earhart Putnam and her copilot, Mr. Fred Noonan, while on the stage between New Guinea and Howland Island of a round-'the-world flight. Mr. Merrill expects to use a 250-railes-an-hour converted LOdkheed airliner, with extra tankage. His flight round the world in three days at this speed would obviously not be a great circle course. It is assuined that he proposes to fly round the top of tho world, following Toughly the late Wiley Post's course through Russia and Alaska. Mr. Howard Hughes is' planning a six days' round- the-wortd flight, starting in April. He will carry a passenger, who Will broadcast a running commentary on the flight. The airman will he able to start from the United States, as he has obtained permission for his flight under the new regulations. Mr. Howard Hughes is a wealthy American film produeer. He is the holder of the United States trans* continental air record, and has won many air races. Mr. Dick Merrill is a pilot on the United States transcontinontal mail airliners. He has made thtifl ATQftsinga ,of the North A'tlantic, ' *