AVIATION

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1931, Page 2

AVIATION

IN THE AIR. GATTY HIT BY PROPEL LOR. HCtt '(United Press Association—-By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) *1 VANCOUVER, June 30. A Fairbanks message states: Post and Gatty took off at 3.20 a.m. to-day fOr Edmonton, a- distance of 1450 miles. :Due to the load, Post was unable to get the Winnjemae into the air the first time. The next time he gave her "the gun.” She rolled slowly down the field, rising just before the end, clearing a wood pile by a> few feet. She gained altitude as she speeded on her way. Ideal weather is aheadThe fliers appeared more tired than when they went to bed. They ate a small breakfast. Leaving Solomon on, Monday night, the fliers got the plane off a rough landing field into the air, only after it had nosed up, damaging the propellor. Gatty was hit by the’ propellor on starting. It struck him over the heart and arm, Hatty fell to the ground, in safety, saying that he was only bruised, and nothing was broken. He then climbed into the ship. On the next attempt, the plane hit the rough ground and ended up apparently bending the propellor. Post climbed out, and with a hammerwrench pounded the propellor back into position. The ship then got into the air and speeded for Fairbanks, to get a better field for the heavy load for the Edmonton flight. They spent three hours at Solomon and arrived at Fairbanks at 9.25 p.m. on Monday, making the flight in two hours fifty five minutes. There Ls an hour’s difference in the time at Solomon and Fairbanks.

CHOICE OF DEATHS. FLYING BLIND OVER BEHRING. VANCOUVER, June 30. A message from Nome (Alaska) states that Post and Gatty preferred death in the Behring S-ea to crashing later on in a dash to New York. They said when they arrived at Solomon on Monday: We experienced evpry kind of weather imaginable copring to Solomon. Post said: I flew for three hours and a-half. on Sunday night, with weather so thick that I did not see more than the' glass on the cockpit windows at any time. I thought then, well I would rather croak flying across Behring Sea than crack up the ship down south, after we were almost home. We managed- finnllv to see enough light to guide the ship here, hut all the way across the Behring Sea, we saw miles of ice floes moving steadily northward into the . straits. Cold and haze prevented u»_golng_to a 'high altitude, We iri'ed 'it once'arid almost froze to death. For the last 200 miles from Solomon we flew abovo c’ouds. We did not drop beneath till within t°n miles of Solomon.

Although the fliers were under ft nervous strain, they were both in excellent,; spirits.

“We were glad to put our feet on good old ground again,” said. Post. “We were 16 hours in that .plane, over a.nd no-mnn's land, It was enough for us fliers.” , He said that the Russians had been wonderful to them, and tried to speed them along as fast as they could go, hoping that they would break all the record to smithereens. THEIR FINAL LAP. OTTAWA, July 1. A message from Edmonton states that Post and Gatty will leave there on the last leg of their flight on Wednesday, at. three a.m. They may go direct to New York. ANOTHER PAIR SET OUT. 'JO BEAT POST AND GATTY. NEW YORK, June 30. Clyde Faiigborn anti Hugn Herndon announced to-day that if the weather was tavourable, they would take off at dawn on Wednesday, hoping to make a world-wide flight in five days, the first stop to be at Moscow, and the next in Eastern Siberia. Their 'plane is twenty-five hours slower than Post and Gatty’s machine, but has dual controls. They plan to fly almost continuously, one man sleeping while the other pilots. NON-STOP PACIFIC FLIGHT AMERICANS GOING VIA ALASKA.

NEW YORK, June 30. A message from Fort Worth states that Reg. L. Robbins and Navigator H. S. Jones, oil-man and sportsmanaviator, took off this morning in the aeroplane “Fort Worth” for Seattle, with the intention of making a nonstop Pacific flight, for the 23,000 dollars prize which has been offered by the Japanese newspaper Asahi. ■■■' The aeroplane ie tri-motcred. A refuelling ship followed, proceeding to Fairbanks (Alaska). Robbins is planning to re-fuel in the air over Fairbanks and Nome. A FRENCHMAN’S PLAN. PARTS, June 30. The aviators Le Brix and Doret are awaiting to start on a dash across the ■world on a more ambitious scale than ihat of Post and Gatty.

The Frenchmen’s plan is to carry out four non-stop laps of sixty hours each, as follows : From Paris to Tokyo; from Tokyo to San Francisco ; from San Francisco to New York; and from New York to Paris. Their machine is fitted with tanks that carry 1,750 gallons of petrol. ZEPP. PASSES OVER ENGLAND. LONDON, June 30. The Graf Zeppelin, which is flying to Iceland, passed over Scarborough, this afternoon. FLIGHT TO INDIA. " CONSTANTINOPLE, Juno 30. Stack and Chaplin have loft for Aleppo. SCOTT’S MEDAL. LONDON, June 30. The King has awarded Scott the AitForce Cross in recognition of his Australian flights. BRITISH R.A.F. PROMOTIONS. RUGBY, June 30. The British Air Ministry announces the promotions with effect from the Ist of July of Air Commodores F. W. Bowhill and C. S. Burnett to be Air Vice-Marshalls. ON THE FLY. (Received this day at 8 a.m/) EDMONTON, July I. Post and Gatty have hopped off m route to Ninv York. DIRTY CLOTHES. VANCOUVER, July 1. On 'Monday, when Post and Gatty started their flight from New York, they sent their laundry from Roosevelt Field to the hotel. It was returned today round the world. They certainly need it. On arriving at Edmonton they had wrinkled, dirty collars and shirts, dirt and grime absolutely ground into their clothes. HOP OFF POSTPONED. SYDNEY, July 2. Chichester, has postponed his hop off for Japan until Saturday.