AVIATION

Southland Times, Issue 18837, 2 June 1920, Page 5

AVIATION

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA. ANOTHER ASPIRANT. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. — Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, May 31. Pilot Hinckler, an Englishman, in a baby Avro, left Crayton at 4.50 this morning to fly to Australia. A RISKY ADVENTURE. LONDON, May 31. (Received June 1, 5.5 p.m.) Hinckler is an Australian. He was debarred from competing for the £IO,OOO prize in a Sopwith machine on the ground that his scheme involved too many risks. He has been connected with the Avro works at Southampton for some time, and has never abandoned the intention to attempt the Australian flight. He has now'started as a sporting venture, hoping to be the tirst man to reach Australia in a singleseater aeroplane.

The baby Avro won the sealed handicap in the Aerial Derby, It has a range of 200 miles, and flies at seventy to eighty miles an hour, using a Green engine of 35 horsepower.

The most daring feature of the proposition is the attempt to cross large stretches of water in such a bus, but Hinckler is a bit of a sport, and believes he will reach Australia eventual'y. He left Woddon Aerodrome in cxc'llent weather. H inukL'r httpd extra petrol tanks to the baby Avro, and hopes thus to obtain eight to ten hours’ continuous flight. He does not expect to get beyond Egypt, at present owing to the prevalent unrest in Syria and Mesopotamia. Hinckler hoped to reach Rome the first day, going via Paris, .Lyons, ami Genoa. If he is unable to fly over Syria he will make a leisurely tour into Central Africa.

ROME-TOKIO FLIGHT COMPLETED. TWO AIRMEN AT TOKIO. TOKIO, May 31. (Received June 1, 10.5 p.m.) Lieutenants Gasiero and Ferrari, the Italian aviators, completed the flight from Rome, arriving at Tokio to day.