FAMOUS AIRMAN'S TALK TO CHILDREN

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 41, 27 April 1928, Page 15

FAMOUS AIRMAN'S TALK TO CHILDREN

— AN INTERESTING FLIGHT The famous airman Captain Hinkler, when talking to the children of 8LO, Melbourne, gave them an interesting description of the wonderful things he saw on his long flight. Boys and. girls of New Zealand who were not fortunate enovgh to be able to listen-in to Captain Hinkler will like to read of his adventures, He said: Flying Kangaroo, "I suppose you would like to know how I felt when I was away up in the air on my long journey to Australia. Well, I just felt that I was a flying kangaroo, coming home to my dear native land in big hops. It’s a grand thing to feel that you are coming home. You _ know how you feel when you have been away for a holiday; what a good time you have when you are away, how you enjoy everything, new scenes, new playmates, new games, and all the rest of it, but after all there’s nothing more enjoyable than the journey home. And let me tell you that the joy of homecoming is better than ever when you have been far away from your own country. Some day you’ll experience this, and you will know how I felt when I reached Australian shores after my flight. The Eternal City. "What a lot of interesting places I saw on the way back. I wish I had time to tell you about them all, but this is impossible. I daresay most of you know that the first place I stopped at was Rome, more than 1000 miles from London. In those olden days the famous Coliseum was often a scene of great brilliancy during bull fights and maany other contests. It was at the Coliseum also that the poor Christians were tortured, ‘I'o-day the Coliseum is one of the very interesting sights of ancient Rome. Other runing of famous buildings nearby are also preserved. What a grand old place it is, the Titernal City of the Seven Hills. I could imagine what it was like in the days of old, with the proud Roman citizens in their ilowing togas, the ladies in their robes of cloth of gold, and the palm-bearing slaves, like living statues of ebony. I remembered that Rome was the birthplace of that great airman de Pinedo, and I thought of the great scene that must have taken place about two and a half years ago, when de Pinedo landed his ’plane on the waters of the ‘Tiber after his long flight to Australia and Japan and home aagin. Oranges and Lemons. "The next place I called at was the island of Malla. ‘Yhat’s the place to see, lovely gardens and beautiful fruit orchards and groves of lemons and oranges, all flourishing in the sunny clime of these parts. Malta has a very romantic history, and I advise you ail to look it up and Jearn all about this svonderful island, Arabian Nights, "Now, after Malta was a long sea jeurney over the Meditcrranean. It took me six hours to get to Benghazi, on the African coast, Tebruk, Ramleh, and Basra, and there you get some idea of the kind of ccuntry where the great camel trains used to plod along with their tinkling Dells, carrying their freights of ‘gold end gems aud silken searves.’ It is the land of dates and spices and swect oils. It makes you think of Ali Baba, the Golden Road to Samarkand, the aucient river of the Abana, and all the glitter and the mystery of the Arabian Nights. "After a run down the Persian Gulf we -come to India, first of all the town of Warachi, and then a big lop over to Cawnpore, Those of you who are learning history will remember that it was at Cawnpore that the trencherons Nana Sahib betraved the British soldicrs curing the Indian Mutiny. Cawnpore is now a busy commercial ctiy. The Land of Chang. "Next there was Calentta. No deubt you have heard a good deal about that very important British outpost, and a very fine city it is. Now I must hurry along and take you across the Bay of Bengal to Rangoon, and on to Victoria Point. Did any of you see the picture called ‘Chang’? Well, that would give you some idea of what the jungles of Siam and Burma are like. ‘lhe very thought of it gives one the shivers, Gateway of the East. "All ahoard now for Singapore, but on the way we pass Georgetown, on the island of Penang, another great British port, and one of the busiest places T saw all the way. And this reminds me there’s a great treat in store for you. When passing over there I saw the British flying boats now on their way to Australia, These flying boats, four of them, are malned by members of the Reval Air Force, and they are due to arrive in Australia about June. Took out for them-it will be a great sight. "Well, my time is nearly up, and I must hurry you through the Dutch Isast Indies down to Bima, where I hopped ff for Australia, One thing about Bims ‘shall never forget, and that was the wWquitoes. They nearly ate me alive, (Continued in Column 5.)

a ee ee eh ee ee ee -_ — (Continued from Column 1.) and I believe they would have had a go at the ’plane, too, if I hadn’t stepped lively. , Home-The Last Hop. "That briugs us to the last hop, over the Timor Sea. Australia is in sight, see there at Darwin is the little monument to Ross Smith, my brother Australian, who made the first of all the flights ta this country. Now we’re home in dear old Australia. It didn’t take us long, did it? "Well, boys and girls, some day you'll all be taking the air like I did. Read up all you can about flying. Learn all about flying and the aeroplane as soon ag you eal, and remember this, you are Australians and you are Britishers, and we all must see that Britons ead the world in flying, as they do in so many other ways I never lost sight of the good old Union Jack all the way out. It is our protection wherever we go. Look-up to it, work for it, and let the world know that Britons are second to none."