MELBOURNE-SYDNEY FLIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1917, Page 3

MELBOURNE-SYDNEY FLIGHT

LIEUTENANT srUTT’S RECORD. Bv his recent flight from Sydney to Melbourne and back in a - nplane, Flight- Lieutenant Stutt, of the State Aviation School, has established a rtcord as far as Australia is concerned, during his long flight he- made only one s top—At Cootamundra—thus establishing the long distance record for Australasia. He is also the only aviator who has flown from Sydney to Melbourne in the one day. Owing to engint trouble, Lieutenant- Stutt was compelled to leave at Cootamundra the passenger who accompanied him from Melbourne. , Speaking to a “Sydney Morning Herald” reporter, Lieutenant Stutt said : “1 left the Point Creek aerodrome at 6 o’clock. The weather wa s good till 1 reached Benalla. Soon after, however T struck very bad weather —heavy rams and low clouds. I passed over Albury at 7.30 and arrived at Cootamundia at- three minutes past 10. I resumed the journey at twenty minutes past II and finally landed at Richmond at 2.30 p.m.” After leaving Goulburn, lieutenant Stutt struck a thunderstorm and wa s blown a little way out to sea. The actual flying time for the trip was seven hours ten minutes, or an average of 8o miles per hour, and the-highest attitude attained during the flight was between 11,000 and 12,000.