BIG AIR DASH

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1929, Page 2

BIG AIR DASH

SEVEN-DAYS’ Tit IP AROUND AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, December 12. A spectacular air dash round Australia in seven days is to be undertaken shortly by Flying-Officer J. A. Vlollison, of one of the airway services, and Mr AY. Pendle, an enthusiastic private , owner-pilot. Although little lias so far appeared in the Sydney Press about the flight, careful preparations have heed made for an attack on the record for the ffignt round Australia now held by Squadon-i.eader Kingsrord Smith and Flight-Lieutenant Ulm. They did the journey, in 1927, in ten days in a Bristol aeroplane. Pilot Mollison and Mr Pendle will attempt the record in the latter’s Gipsy Moth. Much of the flying will he done at night; but, if possible, all landings will he made in daylight. The proposal is to hop off from Adelaide at ,‘j a.in., to land at Melbourne and at Sydney to refuel, and to reach Brisbane the same day. It will take quite a lot of doing, but, after all, none hut the brave and the daring deserve the air and its triumphs. The next stage has not yet been decided, but the flyers, it is •believed, hope to cross Queensland in one stage. The route followed will he approximately that taken by the Hon. Captain Hugh Crosvener, the dashing young heir to a sporting British peer, and A.D.C. to the Governor of South Australia, in his round-Australia flight early tin's year. It is hoped to make Perth to Adelaide the last stage, also in one day. If the livers succeed, they will break most of the records for round-Australia flying. They believe there is a sporting chance of success. Captain CJrosvenor, bv the way, is proposing a record-mak-ing dash from. Australia to England. He, too, will have his work cut out to 3clip.se the record by Smith and film in that sphere in the Southern Cross.