DARWIN REACHED

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17978, 25 March 1930, Page 7

DARWIN REACHED

BY KAYE AND PIPER. LAST STAGE COMPLETED. * HEAD WINDS ALL THE WAY. United ri'oss Assn.—Elec. Tel.—Copyright. SYDNEY, March 24. A message front Darwin states that Flying-Officers H. L. Piper and C. I'Myc arrived I here this afternoon. The New Zealand airmen thus compleled tlieir flight from England !o Australia, which they commenced on February t). The last stage- of the flight, from Atamboca, occupied six and a-half hours. They encountered head winds all the way. The machine in which the flight was made is to he shipped lo New Zealand. The two fliers will visit the Dominion and after a short stay there will return to England.

Flying Officers Piper and Kaye have accomplished their flight in a Desoutter monoplane with a Cirrus-llermes engine. Both arc officers in the Royal Air Force. They were granted three months’ leave of absence for the journey. They are expected to come to the Dominion by steamer. The ■ Desoutter monoplane is standard in all respects except that the cabin is arranged to accommodate two instead of three, and the remaining space is used to lake an auxiliary petrol tank. The total fuel capacity of [ho machine is Buis brought up to 53 gallons, which is enough for 850 miles. Previous flights between England and Australia have been made as follows :—- November-Deccmber. 1910- —sir Boss and Sir Keith Smith, in stages, a tolal distance of 11,295 miles, in 12 i living hours. \lune-Oelobcr, 192 G—Sir Alan Cobham, return flight, 28,000 miles in 230 flying hours. : February, 1928.—Mr Bert Hinkler, total distance, 10,3x0 miles, in 154 days. June-.!uly, 1929. —Squadron-Leader Kingsl’ord Smith, Flight-Lieutenant C. T. P. Ulm. T. 11. McWilliams and 11. A. Litchfield, in Southern Gross, Australia to England, 10,500 mites, in 12 da vs 124 hours. December 20, 1929, January 20, IpliO.—Mi- F. G. Chichester, of Wellington, New Zealand, (lew from Croydon to Darwin in 36 days. In addition lo the above flights, Caplain W. N. Lancaster and Mrs Keith Miller flew from Croydon lo Australia. They left on October it, 1 927, and after several mishaps and delays landed at Port Darwin on March 19, 1928.