COOK STRAIT FLOWN.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1920, Page 5

COOK STRAIT FLOWN.

CAPTAIN DICKSON'S STOBY. FLIGHT FROM CHRISTCHTOCH DESCRIBED. The first aerial crossing of Cook Strait was made this week by Captain Euan Dickson, in the course of a very successful flight from Christchurch to Wellington. Tho actual flying time was 4hrs. 40min., made up as follows: Christchurch dep. 7 a.m. Kahautara River Flats arr. 5.50, dep, 9.35. Kaikoura arr. 9.40, dep. 10.20. Blenheim arr. 11.50, dep. 12.55. Trentham arr. 2.1t».

The story of the flight was given in curt phraseology by Captain Dickson immediately after his arrival. He said: "Left C'hristchnreh in adverse conditions. Very strong north-caster. Made bad time to Kaikoura, when petrol was running short, so thought it advisable to land, although within two or three miles of arranged landing-ground. Landed on 'a rather rough paddock, and managed to get some motor spirit from Mr, Bullen, The Elms; cup of tea, too. Immediately after filling up, left the ground and was in pre-arranged paddock at Kaikoura within five minutes, Barney Mackerell's, just behind the town. There was a good crowd to greet us,„and they gave us rather a hearty reception. They provided tea, cakes, etc. Tanks filled with aviation spirit, and we left again. At Kaikoura it was perfectly calm, but before that, when" passing Stoneyhurst, near the Amberley hills, we ran into dense low clouds, in which we fkw for about a quarter of an hour. We had no direction at all, aud got only occasional glimpses of sea and coast line. After Kaikoura, followed the coast line, and passed 'Various planus on the coast, turning inland toward* Blenheim at the Ura river. The progress of the machine was reported throughout by the various telegraph offices. The maximum height between Kaikoura and Blenheim \ras six thousand feet on the coast. Passing Seddon and Ward we got lower. Gained height over Redwood Pass (about three thousand feet). Landed in Blenheim with very few people about. The news had not got out. Mr. Mogridge had arranged the fire and everything else. Leaving Blenheim obtained a fair height of sis thousand feet. Followed the coast past Port Underwood and Rununder Point, and half way between there and Wellington Heads changed my course direct for Cape Terawhiti. We came down to about 3500 feet over Terawhiti Jigit." "How did the Avro behave?" Captain Dickson was asked. "Very well," he replied. "And what do you think of the route?" "I cannot say anything at the moment," he replied. "It was an aerial survey, and 1 will have to report on it. You can say that the scenery was good." "What was the most striking feature of the journey?" "I should think," he replied, "it was seeing Wellington from Kaikoura so distinctly. The Kaikouras, of course, were the outstanding feature of the trip, but we got a few bumps over them. At Cook Strait we were enveloped in cloud for a while, and could not see land or sea, and from fiOOO feet we came down to about 4500. Our first glimpse of Wellington was a surprise. It was over the hills, with a big stretch of water lying to the right of it. It was just like suddenly seeing Lytteltbn from Christchurch. The finest feature was the prominence of the North Island viewed from the South. Over Wellington we could see people gathering on the ends of the' wharf and coming out of Parliament House.