AVIATION

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1931, Page 6

AVIATION

TRANS ATLANTIC FLIGHT. BY MAN AND WOMAN. 'United Preso Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) NEW YORK, Janaury 3. Mr Beryl Hart, a red-haired widow aged 27, one of the few women holding an unlimited transport license, and Lieutenant William MacLaren, a former Navy flier, took off to-day in the plane “Trade Wind,” with a pay load to prove that ocean flying can be put on a paying commercial basis, for Paris, their route being by way of Bermuda and the Azores. MacLaren was at the controls, hut Mrs Hart expected to replace him alter the start and to do the bulk of the piloting. It is planned to stdp tor three hours at Hamilton (Bermuda), and it is hoped to reach Paris within 50 hours. The cargo is destined for stamp collectors along the way. The ship is a black and while Bellanca monoplane, similar to the Columbia. It is fitted with a three hundred horse power Wright Whirlwind motor and a pontoon. There is no radio. The steamer Bermuda later reported the plane three hundred and seventy miles south-east of Ambrose Light. NEW YORK, January 3. The New York . “Times,” Nbrfalk, (Virginia), correspondent states that the monoplane “Trade Wind,” after reaching a distance believed to be 75 miles from Bermuda, was compelled to return, and landed at tlie Norfolk this evening. Damage to her sextant made further navigation uncertain She will refuel to-morrow and resume her journey.

FLYER RETURNS. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) NORFOLK, (A 7 irginia), Jan. 4. A damaged sextant and a shift in the wind, encountered within a few miles from Bermuda caused the failure of the first attempt “Payload” aeroplane flight from New York to Paris. Trademark forced to. turn back, and landed on Saturday night at Hampton. Roads Naval Station, more than fifteen hours .after the take off from New A T ork. They had flown approximately fifteen hundred miles when they landed at 9.15 p.m. The East flight will be resumed on Alomlay by the same route.

BRITISH FLIERS CRASH

TUNIS, January 3.

Captain Bernard and Lord Lovelace, when flying to the Cape from England, crashed with an American mechanic, near Tripoli, after leaving Tunis. AH were gravely injured, and were taken to hospital.

All SSI NG AUSTR ALLANS

SYDNEY, January 2. The aviator Pittendrugh and mining expert Hainre are still missing in Central Australia. ,They.find several gallons of water, but not .much food. Pittendrugh was totally unfamiliar with the country and there is not a solitary homestead within hundreds of miles. An Air Force airplane piloted bv Flight Lieut. Eaton, left Alice Springs to-day to tlie whole libelba Plain.

BRANCHED’S successor . LONDON, January 2. The “Daily Herald” says the late Sir F. Brancker’s successor will be Lieut.-Colonel Sbelmerdine, Director of Civil Aviation in India, who lias unrivalled knowledge of the Empire’s airways.