CHAMPIONS OF THE AIR

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 255, 18 January 1928, Page 9

CHAMPIONS OF THE AIR

LINDBERGH AND LADY BAILEY HIGHEST HONOURS GIVEN By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. PARIS, Monday. The International Union of Aviators has awarded to Colonel Charles Lindbergh, of America, the men’s International Trophy for 1927, with the ttile of Champion Aviator of the World. The new title of Woman Champion Aviator of the World was awarded to Lady Bailey, the wife of Sir Abe Bailey, of England. The title of National Air Champion was awarded to Costes and Lebrix, of France, Flight-Lieutenant S. N. Webster, of Britain, M. Wouters, the air-line pilot, of Belgium, and M. Koppen, of Holland. —A. and N.Z.-Sun.

Lady Bailey, who was the Hon. Mary Westenra, daughter of Baron Rossniore, married Sir Abe Bailey, the South African gold-mining magnate, in 1911. She has two sons and three daughters. She, with Mrs. Elliott Lynn, are the bestknown British women fliers. Colonel Charles Lindbergh was born in 1902. His father was of Swedish descent and his mother a Canadian. He learned to fly in 1921, at Lincoln, Nebraska. He flew with his father on his campaign for the State governorship of Minnesota In 1923. In 1925-6 he was a pilot with the mail between St. Louis and Chicago night after night. On May 20, 1927, he left New York alone and crossed the Atlantic in a flight which has made him worldfamous. . .. Flight-Lieutenant Webster won the Schneider Cup race for Britain at the Lido, near Venice, on September 28. He was the youngest pilot of the British team, and is only 27 years of age. The French airmen Costes and Lebrix flew across the South Atlantic from West Africa to Brazil They started origmally from Le Bourget airdrome, Paris, on October If), and arrived at Buenos Ayres on October 20. The distance flown was 6,000 miles. M. Koppen, the Dutch airman, flew in October, with a pilot and a mechanic, from Holland to Batavia in 10 days, nine of which were actual flying days. He carried a quantity of mail matter with him. -