Aeroplane Flight.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 1 December 1917, Page 1

Aeroplane Flight.

SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE.

AVERAGE 60 MILES AN HOUR.

An aeroplane flight from Richmond, near Sydney, to Point Cook, Melbourne, -was made recently by Lieutenant Stutt, of the Richmond Flying School. The official record shows that the average speed for the journey was. 60 miles an hour. The distance of 507 miles was covcrcd in 9h 32m. Richmond to Goulburn, 137 miles, was got over in 2h 58m; Goulburn to Albury, 254 miles, 3h 53m; Albury to Point Cook, 207 miles, 2h 51m. Mr A. G. F. James, Minister for Education, accompanied Lieutenant Stutt for the first stage of the journey.

After leaving Richmond the aviators lost their way in a fog —or rather above it—and they arrived at 8.27 a.m. instead of the schedule time of 7.45. They were prepared to go on after that, but again circumstances upset their plans, for as the machine was rising at the start from Goulburn racecourse the lower wing of the right-hand plane struck a post and was so damaged that the remainder of the flight had to be postponed till a new wing had been sent from Richmond.

"It was the fog which made us late," said Mr James in an interview. "We lost sight of New South Wales just after passing over Picton, at. about six o'clock, and for miles wo flew over a sea of white mist. Nothing of the earth could bo seen; only that rolling mass of vapour, not even a tree or a peak to guide us. We steered by guesswork for nearly two hours, and T;hen, through a rift in the clouds, we saw a green field and Stutt dived for it. There was one surprised individual there. He opened his mouth when we landed and closed it as we left. It was 8.10 when we took the air again"

Mr. Stutt said little. '' The compass jammed and refused to work very early in the game," he said. "When I decided to land I was wondering where in the world we were, but that surprised farmer told us Golspie. My map did the rest."

It was just after nine when, the tank refiilled, the third start was made. There was only one almost invisible post to hit, and by the worst luck in the world the machine hit it.

"Five years at tho game," said Lieutenant Stutt later in the day. "Five years, and to hit a post! "

Mr James decided that it was necessary for him to go on to Melbourne by train to keep an important appointment He arrived in Melbourne, as it turned out, just as the big Curtiss aeroplane was whirling above the city before dropping along for a landing at Laverton.