AIRSHIP’S FLIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1930, Page 5

AIRSHIP’S FLIGHT

;*vf ■*'» t - • • v : ' ; A SATISFACTORY TRIAL. (British Official Wireless). ; RUGBY, Jan. 29. 5 "'Tile, giant airship R.IOO was- again flying, throughout last night and at 7 .o'clock this morning sue as far as Land’s End, Cornwall. The course of the airship was not mapped out in advance. The flight was the last of her voyages to test her airworthiness, and there were people on board the vessel. On the return to the mooring mast, Major Scott, commanding ' officer, said: ‘“During our flight we flew at an average of 50 miles an hour, and we covered a distance equal to that to Egypt. We used about 15 tons'of fuel and had tons, so that 1 we could have remained in the air another 24 hours at least. . R.lOl and R. 'TOO are very similar in behaviour and control. We were above the clouds to-day nearly the whole of .the time. I have never been on such a long flight when I saw so little of the ground.” • Sir Denniston Burney who was on board'said: “After leaving The Channel Islands on the first night we saw ‘ nothing until next morning, when we found ourselves over Felixstowe. We located our position the whole time by wireless cross-bearing. There is no doubt whatever, I think', that wireless cross-bearings have a great future. : I atn greatly impressed by the ease with which we were able to keep our position. 'Nearly all the time yesterday we were flying in fog. When we crossed London we could see very little,