CAPTAIN FRANK HAWKS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1931, Page 2

CAPTAIN FRANK HAWKS

‘THE HUMAN BULLET.”

Occasionally cable reports reach New Zealand of the exploits of Captain Frank Hawks in his aeroplane, the “Texaco 13.’’ Hawks, who lias fully earned the title “The Human Bullet,” seems to spend lijs time endeavouring to break every speed record lie can discover. In the past year Captain Hawks lias made a series of one day tom's of most of the capitals of Europe. He flew recently from London to Rome and hack in one day, cruising, along at 190 m.p.h. This was his second attempt to perform this feat. He would have accomplished it easily the first time at an average of 174 hi.p.m. if his fuel had not run out 150 metres south of Paris. Evidently Inc Test failure accounted for the sped • ,■!' Ins second successful attempt. About May 87th. Hawks decided that the dull routine of having three meals in one place the same day was becoming a little boring. So lie breakfasted in London, mounted his trusty ‘Texaco 13,” lunched in Berlin and dined in Paris. Speed did not interfere with Hawks’ appetite. But for head winds he might have clocked a better average than 190 m.p.h., hut this seems to he his favourite cruising speed. On another day he loafed over from Heston, England, to' Baldonnel, near Dublin, to have a look at Ireland. His speed was a trifle of 182 miles per hour; Before making his tour of England and the Continent, Hawks saw his country first—hut not in the accepted

tradition. He broke the American East-West record by covering 2,500 miles in 14 hrs. 50 mins., beating the previous record by 3 hrs. 50 mins. Then, he flew West-East in 12 hrs. 25 mins. 2 hrs. 20 mins, faster than it

had ever been done before. He then went down South and bolted to New York at an average of 190 m.p.h. Th e 1,400 miles went past in 8 hrs. 44 mins., so he was not sight-seeing. Another day, while in New York, he thought it might he a good idea to have a look at Boston. He climbed

out of his plane into- the midst of America’s cultural centre just 52 minutes later. Oatpain Hawks is the Director, of the Aeronautical Division of the Texas Company. He urns named America’s premier aviator in 1930 by the awards committee of the International League of Aviators.