ROYAL AIR FORCE

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1933, Page 7

ROYAL AIR FORCE

GIRDLING THE WORLD. RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT. LONDON, January 21. In less than twelve months aeroplanes of the Royal Air Force have i.own in formation overseas more than 47,000 miles on -long distance erui.-.es, an aggregate dislaneo half as n udi un-.i.iu as that flown on similar duties during the p-ievious year. Their jou-ri.oys. have taken them over thousands of ir.iil.-s of the . Indian Ocean—much of the distance along row es never provion I.v .travelled by flying imx-liincs—through the heart of Africa, from .Singapore’ to Australia, around the Baltic Pea, from '.Malta to the easlcni Mediterranean and the Sudan, and rv. r every mile of coastline of the Arabian Peninsula.

A Fiore than half of the total mileage during the period—the exact proportion is G 3 per cent.—has been covered by large multi-engined flying boats, rlie type of aircraft which experts believe may supersede ocean ‘cruisers and mail ‘boats along important sections of the Empire trade routes. The longest flight of all, that is 19,609 mde.s from Singapore to and from the li tie-known Andaman and Nicobar Islands, wara performed by a squadron, of air boats which had been instructed to investigate the possibilities of a route between Calcutta and Singapore which should go by way of the islands instead of along the Burmese and Malayan c-oasts. In less than six weeks the task was accomplished : when the flying machine-i arrived hack at - ■ ,

their Singapore base they had spent 244 hours in the air and completed a job over which surface vessels would have spent many month*. < PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE. Next in order of ‘length was the spring ‘crui'.-je of 'four day bomber lan dp Ernes from Cairo to Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda, and back, which extended to 18,200 miles. Here again, the war aeroplanes combined military i reconnaissance with work undertaken ! at the request of the various Colonial | Governments which saved the expendij ture of mawy thousands of pounds and ! much time.

Year after year the Royal Air Force, which is unique ,aimong the world’s fighting air saevieea in shouldering responsibilities in three continents', is preparing the way for the world-wide network of air lines that before the end of another decade will rank first in the system of inter-imperial transport. Where the war machines fly to-day the air-linens ply regularly to-morrow — that is an axiom of Empire air development. Royal A c Force aeroplanes flew first between Egypt and India along th© line now followed by the British until and passenger-carrying craft. They pioneered the route through Africa, where the civil airway ha© been established on the foundation of -emergency landing grounds and fuel supply depots laid down in. the first place for the regular yearly formation cruises of military aircraft from Cairo to Cape Town. They have explored and surveyed many another airway where soon the commercial aeroplanes • will follow them.

All through the 47,090 miles no serious mechanical trouble delayed the flyers. Invariably the squadrons kept to their pre-determined time schedule, implying high degree of skill in pilotage awl aerial navigation among the personnel and fine- trusworthiness in the aeroplanes, and .aero engines employed. Actually, since the first long distance Service cruises under! ken <500.11 after the war, no R.A.F. formation has ever failed to keep to time, a record which, though it finds' no place among the- more spectatiilar speed and height exploits recognised internationally, is worthy to.* rank with any achievement in the,.history of aviation.