AEROPLANE TO-DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1920, Page 4

AEROPLANE TO-DAY.

AT RACECOURSE AFTER NOON. TIMES TO SEE IT ELSEWHERE. The first aeroplane flight across Taranaki will be made to-day, the machine coming from Palmeraton North to New Plymouth. Hawera people should be on the look-out to see the aeroplane pass about eleven o'clock, and New Plymouth residents should watch lor il. coming to ilie racecourse ariv time after noon.

The aeroplane is Messrs Walsh Bros.' Avro. which will leave l'almcrston North at ten o'clock this morning, being scheduled to reach here some Hme between twelve and one o'clock. A good deal of interest will no doubt be taken in the visit, and as the machine will fly over the principal towns, residents will have an opportunity of watching the flight. The arrangements include a stop at Wanganui for fuel, and Hawera should bo reached about eleven o'clock, but no stop is being made .there. Townspeople of Elthnin, Stratford, 'and Inglewood should be on the look-out for the 'plane any time after eleven. The above arrangements are, of course, subject to weather conditions.

The machine will be in New Plymouth till the end of the week, engaged in passenger flights, and will probably leave on Monday, making stops at Stratford and Hawera, and thence going on to Wellington (with a call at Palmerston for fuel). The Avro is an English machine of 100 h.p., .'iftft span and 2!>ft in length. Captain Russell (pilot), who is accompanied on the trip by a mechanic, was trained in the New Zealand Flying School at Kohimaraina, and saw service in France, where he won the Distinguished Flying Cross and the French Croix de Guerre.

Ho has already achieved a fine record in /lights in the North Maud. The machine was .shipped to Gisbornc and from there flew to Hastings, and thence to Wellington. Numerous other trips ineluded the following: Wellington to Wanganui, Wanganui to Hastings, Hastings to Masterton, and Masterton to Palmerston North.