FAST FLYING TIME

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 997, 13 June 1930, Page 10

FAST FLYING TIME

AVERAGE OF 145 M.P.H. FROM CHRISTCHURCH HOBSONVILLE PLANE New Zealand has no official airplane records, but yesterday the fastest speed yet recorded for air travel between Christchurch and Auckland was established by Flight-Lieutenant M. W. "Buckley when he covered the distance in 3hrs 40 min, in one of the Government’s Fairey 111. F machines. The distance over the particular route followed is calculated at 533 miles, thus making an average speed for the nonstop flight of 145 miles an hour. The flight started from Sockburn airdrome at 9.50 a.m., and the machine landed at the Hobsonville Air Base at 1.30 p.m. Flight-Lieutenant Buckley was accompanied on the trip by Corporal "W. Hemple as mechanic. The route taken was aJong the coast to Cape Campbell and then westward of "Wellington, over the sea, to Kapiti Island, where the airmen again followed the coast. At Patea a turn inland was taken in order to fly behind Mount Egmont and the coast was again hit about 30 miles north of New Plymouth and followed to the mouth of the Waikato, from whence a direct line was taken to Hobsonville. ASSISTED BY WIND The fast time recorded for the trip was made possible by the strong following gale which prevailed and which ,at times gained a velocity of 50 miles an hour. According to the instruments, the air speed varied from 105 to 110 miles an hour and thus, according to the average speed maintained, 145 tn.p.h, the average velocity of the wind was between 35 and 40 miles an hour. Flight-Lieutenant Buckley spoke in terms of the machine, which is •one of the two Fairey planes to cooperate with the warships in firing exercises in the Hauraki Gulf during the next few days. Owing to the unsatisfactory conditions reported by the Government meteorologist, the departure of the machine from Sockburn was delayed rwo days, but yesterday full advantage of the strong wind was taken by flying high. The airmen soon realised that they "were making an exceptionally fast trip for, two hours after leaving, they were above Wanganui. Some concern was caused at Blenheim. It was understood that FlightLieutenant Buckley intended to call there on his way north. At 2 p.m., “when no word was received of him, except that the machine had been seen earlier over Kaikoura and Ward, and the engine appeared to be running badly, the Marlborough Aero Club dispatched one of its machines to make a search. Shortly after, however, word was received that the airmen had arrived at Hobsonville. Flight-Lieuten-ant Buckley and his mechanic left for the South again by the express last evening.

NEW RECORD IN SOUTH

INVERCARGILL TO DUNEDIN From Our Oxen Correspondent .DUNEDIN - , Today. Piloted by Captain McGregor, who was accompanied by a passenger, the airplane owned by Cadbury, Fry, and Hudson, yesterday flew from Invercargill to Dunedin in the record time of 46 minutes. The; plane left the Southland airdrome at 10.30 a.m., and reached Dunedin at 11.16 a.m.