RECORD BROKEN

Hokitika Guardian, 7 August 1931, Page 5

RECORD BROKEN

MOLLISON SUCCESSFUL. LANDS AT CROYDON. uiui«u 't'roßo ADou^muuu —By Electno ieiegxapu—nfeiit. j (Received this day at 9.25 a.m) LONDON, August 0. Mollison arrived at teroycam at 4.30 lI.iU ana departed at 11.40. I.U.MjON, August 6. Moilison arrived at (Jrowauu at i-30 iu tne a.ternoon. En route lium Athens he landed at L e ivourgct iieioilrome, nance, Bnoi Humubar, a Cross Uiannei liter, warned Moilison that there was bad Weather ahead. They took off together so that Moilison could follow him, but the Australian, lost ins way, in bad visibility, and came down in a field at Pevensey Bay, where he was so exhausted that he was taken to a neighbouring house and given food, and rested tor two hours. He then flew on to Croydon. Moliison sunburnt, weary, and with bloodshot eyes, said that although it had been an unpleasant flight he was happy to have broken Scott's record. He said his eyes were sore because his goggies liad been lost overboard three days ago, probably in India, but he was so weary he could not accurately remember. The conditions were trying to-day, but when he landed at Pevensey Bay, he got the local authorities to sign a declaration that he had descended there at 1.25. He now wunted nothing nu/re than sleep, us he bad av. eragod only two hours rest daily throughout the flight.

SCOTT’S RECOR'D*BROKEN. 1 by'OVER FORTY HOURS. .I LONDON, August 6. ■The official time is eight days, twen-ty-on© hours fifteen minutes, beating Scott’s record of ten days 13| hours.

Mr Janies Allan Moilison, who was born in Scotland, is 26 years of age. He has flown more than 3509 hours, including 1290 hours in the Australian National Airwaysj He served jfive years in the Royal Aii’ Force, flying various types of machines, and was for one year an instructor; In 1926 he served af> a test pilot in India. Later he went to the South o.' France, and piloted an aeroplane for a private air company between Nice and Corsica. Afterwards lie went to Australia, and was appointed chief instructor for th© South Australian t Aero Club, which position he held for a year. He then joined the Eyre Peninsula. Ainvays, and later left that concern to join the Australian National Airways. During the twelve months lie was with the Australian Airways he -flew oh all routes between Sydney and Brisbane, Sydney ailth. Melbourne, 'and Melbdtii'fle aiid Tasmania. While a member of the Royal Air Foi'ce, he was regarded as a boxer of unusual merit, The machine which lie used on his Australia-England attempt is a D.H, 60 wooden fuselage Moth, fitted with a new Gipsy 11 engine. Petrol tanks are fitted in the front cockpit, using up all available space. Steamlining has been carried out under the supervision of Mr Hewitt, chief engineer of Australian National Airways, and the machine has been specially strengthened to hold- extra tankage, giving a supply of 140 gallons of petrol. ROUGH EXPERIENCES. (Received this day at 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, August 6. The machine almost pitched on its nose, when Moilison mistook beach shingles for grasslands. While he rested, the residents pushed the ’plane three of a mile to better country from where he satisfactorily took off.

Recounting .his experiences, the aviator said .he had a 'terrible time to-day in the fog, but perhaps the most dangerous moment of the flight was when he arrived at Batavia after night fall. He found the aerodrofne lights extinguishe-d and flew on until he found a clearing in the jungle, where he safe, ly landed in the darkness. He induced an intelligent headman ,to put natives of his village to work and clear a runaway. Mollison took off an hour later. . >