NOTABLE FLIGHT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 923, 17 March 1930, Page 9

NOTABLE FLIGHT

NON-STOP DUNEDIN TO AUCKLAND S3O MILES IN TEN HOURS Auckland and Dunedin, 830 miles apart, are new within 10 hours air journey of one another. The 830-mi'es non-stop New Zealand record flight between these two centres, established on Saturday by the Auckland pilot. Captain J. D. Hewett, not only made the trip practicable for a light plane, but p-ovided valuable data for the development of commercial aviation, particularly publio transport, in the Dominion. Incidentally, his achievement demonstrated the reliability of light aircraft on a long trip. In spilt* of prevailing cross-winds—-in fact, almost head winds—over practically the entire distance, heavy clouds uud rain part of the way, the plane hummed along at an average speed of 83 miles an hour, and the engine never missed a heat. A most surprising feature was that only 50 gallons of fuel of the total supply of 65 gallons the plane carried were consumed on the trip, according to the airmans reckoning. The consumption was about five gallons an hour. Ac cep ing these figures as correct, petrol running costs at Is 9d a gallon were £4 7s 6d for 830 miles. The bulk of the fuel supply was cai - ried in a 45-gallon auxiliary tank which was fitted in the front cockpit, thus giving the plane a cruising range of 12 hours. Fast time was not the objective cf tho lone flier’s trip; ratber was it to demonstrate the reliability of light aircraft equipped with modern engines on long trips Captain Hewett’s effort was made in his own 100-h.p. Gipsv-Moth Falcon, which he bought in October last. Beyond tho additional petrol storage, the plane was net equipped for he long flight, the ordinary oil supply being depended upon. It was planned to equip the plane with a sliort-wavo wireless transmitting set for Satur ay’s flight, but on account of the size of the plant this was impossible, and consequently people here had to rely on the reports from towns the flier passed over for his progress. TROUBLE-FREE FLIGHT From the time of hopping off from the Green Island airdrome at 6.40 o’clock on Saturday morning, until he taxied smoothly up to the Mangere airdrome buildings, after a perfect landing at 4.45 p.m., Captain Hewelt did not experience the slightest trouble. Against a head wind from Dunedin to Wellington, the flier, who kept an inland course over the South Island, covered the distance in 5i hours. Over most of the journey he flew at a low altitude, but crossing Cook Strait from Cape Campbell to Lyail Bay he rose to 8,000 feet, which was not high erough to be comfortable. Reaching Wellington at 12.10 p.m., tl. e Falcon circled over the Rongatai airdrome, and then continued her course. Low clouds between Wellington ard Levin did not help the flier, who had to maintain the course as best he could, flying out of sight, of the ground, for about an hour. Captain Hewett ran into rain for a short time at Levin, but eventually ran out of the obscuring clouds there. He travelled at a low altitude between Palmerston North and Marton, where he got the benefit of an assisting wind as far as Te Kui:i, but thereafter crosswinds pretailed. He followed the Wangaheu Valley to Ohakune, which is more of a direct course than the Main Trunk railway, and then followed the line to Otorohang;a, deviating then toward Pirongia, and then taking a direct line 1o Mangere. GOOD LANDING-GROUNDS. The possibilities cf making a forced landing were studied by Captain Hewett throughout the trip. He noted plenty of good land iig-p laces on the east coast of the South Island. The worst stretch for a compulsory landing was between Ohakune and Tau- | marunui, -where the road was the only i possible spot to aligfct. 1 A two-way landing ground has been secured by Captain Hewett at Orakei, J where passengers cai be taken up or j set down close to he city when a • suitable wind is blowing. ,' An enthusiastic .welcome was aci ! corded tho flier by a small group of . spectators and Aero Club officials who . | witnessed his arrival at Mangere. The crowd was caught bj' surprise, searching the sky in a different, direction, . when the plane was spotted coming j over the ’drome buildings a couple of j miles distant. [ Roaring away, two of the Autkl.nd , j Aero Club's Moths, piloted by Lleuten- \ ant D. M. Allen, chief instructor, and 5 Lieutenant lar, Keith, assistant in- ? structor, took off and climbed quickly 3 to escort Captain Hewett in. Captain Hewett hovered round in a semicircle until the welcoming plane overtook him, and after banking beauti- ! fully twice, made a. perfect land!per. * and taxied gently t > within 30 yard. 1 of the hangar. The airman » cheered as he landed, and received a \ warm congratulatory hand-shake iron. It. Si a Auckland Aero Club. Mrs. Hewet -land her father, Mr. P. B. Brown were e i among the spectators, a | Interesting reccrJs of the flight q i brought by Captain T .ewett were lot- ! ters addressed to the Mayor. Mr. e ! George Baildon: Mr. Rudd and Mr. C. d; S. hiunn. secretary of the Dunedin s ! Club; from the Mayor of Dunedm. A bundle of conies of Saturday’s “Otago e Daily Times” was a-so distributed among the crowd at the airdrome.