OCEAN FLYING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 5 January 1931, Page 5

OCEAN FLYING

ON COMMERCIAL BASIS TRIAL TRIP COMMENCED (United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright) NEW YORK, 3rd January. .Mrs Beryl Hart, a red-haired widow, aged 27, one of the few women holding an unlimited transport license, and Lieut. William MacLaren, a former Navy flier, took off to-day in the ’plane' “Trade Wind,” with a “pay load” to prove that ocean flying can he put on a paying commercial basis, for Paris via Bermuda and the Azores. MacLaren was at the controls, but Mrs Hart was expected to replace him after the start, and do the bull? of the piloting. It is planned to stop three hours at Hamilton (Bermuda), and it is hoped to reach Paris within fifty hours. The cargo is destined for stamp collectors along the way. The ship is a black, and white Bellanca monoplane similar to the Columbia, and is fitted with a 300 horse-power Wright whirlwind motor and pontoon. There is no radio. The steamer Bermuda later reported the ’plane 370 miles south-east of Ambrose light. COMPELLED TO RETURN MISHAP TO SEXTANT NEW YORK, 3rd January. The “New York Times” Norfolk (Virginia) correspondent states that the monoplane “Trade Wind” after reaching a distance believed to he only 75 miles from Bermuda, was compelled to return and landed at Norfolk this evening. The damage to the sextant made further navigation uncertain. She will refuel tomorrow and resume her journey. VANCOUVER,'3rd January. A damaged sextant and a shift in the wind encountered within a few miles of Bermuda caused the failure of the first attempted “Payload” aeroplane flight from New York to Paris. The monoplane had to turn back and landed at Hampton Roads Naval Station more than 15 hours after the take-off from New York, and had flown approximately 1500 miles when she landed at 9.25 p.m. The flight will be resumed on Monday over the same route. WHEN LAST SIGHTED VANCOUVER (8.C.), 4th January. A , message from Hamilton states that the ’plane “Trade Wind,” not reported since Saturday evening, was last sighted 300 miles distant by the steamer Bermuda.