CHICHESTER HONOURED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 56, 28 October 1931, Page 3

CHICHESTER HONOURED

(Press Assn.

medal awarded BEST FEAT OF AERIAL NAVIGATION THIS YEAR TASMAN SEA CROSSING

, — By Telegraph — CopyrigM).

LONDON, Monday. The Guild of Air Pilots has awarded the memorial plaque, giyen in memory of the noted navigator, SquadromLeader Johnston, a vietim of 'the R101, for the year's best feat in civil aerial navigation, to Mr. F. C. Chicester. The award was given for his New Zealand-Norf olk Island-Lord ' Howe Island flights. All Empire flyers are eligible for the award. ' It is understood that Messrs. C. W. Scott, J. A. Mollison and Kingsford Smith were considered. It was arranged that the Prince of Wales should present the trophy in November, but as it is improbable that Mr. Chicester will be in England then, the Guild has cabled to Squad-ron-Leader T. M. Wilkes, of New Zealand, asking the whereabouts of Mr. Chicester.

Mr. Chichester was the first pilot in the world to make a long ocean flight -acting as his own pilot, navigator and radio operator. He left Hobsonville on March 28 this year for Parengarenga, 20 miles from Cape Maria Van Dieman, where he refuelled and set out for Norfolk Island, which he reached after a flight of 420 miles i nsix hours. This and his flight to Lord Howe, another "dot i'n the wastes," are considered great f'eats of navigation. After a crash at the latter island he. flew on to Botany Bay, New South Wales. He later continued on a leisurely flight to England, via the Philippine Islands and Japan. When taking off at Katsuura for Tokyo in August he crashed into a stone wall completely wrecking the machine "Madame Elijah," and himself suffering injuries that were at first thought extremely serious. The last message received stated that he was making good progress, and that he had been visited. by Miss Amy Johnson, who was then at Katsuura (August 27). The airman, who was born in Devon and came to New Zealand at the age of 18, first sprang into prominence through his "casual" flight in January, 1930, from England to Australia in 19 days' flying time, although he was delayed for some time. through an unlucky crash in Tripoli.