AVIATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 September 1928, Page 3

AVIATION.

TASMAN FLIGHT. LATER ADVICE. FLIGHT HIGHLY IMPROBABLE. (By Telegraph—l’or Press Association.). .WELLINGTON, Sept. 4. An early start of the lliglit was not considered at all likely- by Dr Kidson, when asked this morning what tho weather conditions over the Tasman Sea wore like. “A cyclone is threatening from tho north,” ho said, “and I was likely to move in a ,south-easterly direction, and the barometer was falling at Hobart and Sydney. The prospects of anything like Settled conditions over tho route of tho proposed iligiit for the next few days were poor, Advice to this effect was sent to the airmen mid it was therefore highly improbable that a start would be made for a few days. ■ AMUNDSEN SEARCH. LONDON, Sept. 3. A message from Oslo reveals that the float has boon identified beyond doubt as that belonging to AmundsciPs aeroplane. Nevertheless many refuse to believe that Amundsen is lost. The Norwegian “Journal of Commerce and Shipping,” declares it is highly probable that be landed on ice breaking off the float. It urges a. continuation of tho search beyond 10th October when it is proposed to abandon it.

Advices from Oslo to-night state three fishing vessels reported smoke and a tent were seen close to Edge Island on Bth August and Ist 'September. They were unable to investigate, owing to a mass of moving ice.

AIR TRAGEDY CAUSES. ißeceived Hub day at 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, September 3. Tho Paris tragedy, in which M. flokanowski and bis companions were killed, draws from the entire press a suggestion that French aviation is yielding an excessive number of fatalities. The universal opinion in France is that ■there is something seriously wrong in military and civil aviation. Foreign experts say French airmen put a finger oil the immediate cause, when, they point ■ out that most of the military machines are out-of-date. Commercial machines are suffering from excessive work and insufficient upkeep. It is suggested in both cases that the pilots dare not protest, though they know the machines are unsafe. Otherwise they would he black marked. The primary reason in both cases is lack of money. The air service is allegedly starved and commercial companies subsidies are beggarly.