AUSTRALIAN PILOT

Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1933, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN PILOT

SOME remarkable figures

SERVICE THROUGHOUT YEAR

(Australian Press Association),

SVDNRY, November 20.

'What is cltmned' to be a world’s record for comniercitil flying has been •tnad®*by K®itfc^J®iAWV(^4“y^ja?cQl.d ir pil^t, of New England Airways, who, six days a I week for W months, has flown 600 ip|les a day. Hi the year he has 1560 flying hours to hi*, ’ credit, and has ficWi} 156,500 pdles between Sydney ftffd Bf is bane, It ‘it,ftglliitloy a record in , ’Lhat it. is difficult to see how Jjtr Virtue’s aggre&aWfof flying hours niid mileage could {jo eclipsed, anywKere.el^e in the world ia; the view taken »» Sydney ‘flying circles,. \ > ''The Sydney-Brisbane 000-mile run constitutes a lengthy service for an unrelieved pilot, and it is not thought that it would .be exceed :d on any American or European airline. In hi 9 six-days-a-week schedule on this service Mr Virtue has not missed a. day. In addition to the daily air mail run he has done extra trips, which bring his total - mileage within the year to 168,480, calculated on an average speed of 108 miles an hour. The New England Airways’ aeroplane recently reached Brisbane in 3h 25m, a record for tli& service, and thought to be a record for the trip. The .same .machine, piloted by Mr Virtue, was at Lismore, about 400 miles from Sydney, in 2li 38m—a record. His flying for the 12 months represents' the equivalent in mileage oi' 15 trips to or from England, Mr Virtue locks, and says he feels, in excellent health, and net in the least affected by what would seem to be an arduous schedule. When not flying ho is ii tennis enthusiast.

Mh .Virtue’s nephew, Jason Hussnrd, is another young Australian pilot who looks likely to make flying records. He is only 20, has a certificate to fly four types of machines and already has 80!) hours’ flying to his credit. He, too, is a New England Airways pilot, flying the lighter type of aeroplane.