FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0039.PDF
JANUARY 19, 1928 PRIVAI FLYING A Section of FLIGHT in the Interests of the Private Owner, Owner-Pilot, and Club Member CAPTAIN W. N. LANCASTER'S FINE FLIGHT THE distinction of being the first to fly the 14,000 miles from England to Australia in a light aeroplane has temporarily eluded Capt. W. N. Lancaster and his passenger, Mrs. Keith Miller. Their crash at Muntok, in the Dutch East Indies, is not now considered so serious as previously understood, but it seems likely that the flight will not be continued for many weeks yet. It is gathered that the fuselage of the Avro " Avian " is intact and the machine repairable. The crash •occurred through a sudden stoppage in the petrol system as the " Avian " was ascending from Muntok, and the circum- stances apparently made it necessary to sideslip from the altitude of 150 ft., but a crash ensued. Mrs. Keith Miller had her nose broken and Capt. Lancaster suffered from slight concussion and cuts. They both returned to Singapore on January 12 and had their injuries attended to at the hospital. It is at Singapore that the " Red Rose " will probably be repaired. Whether spare parts will have to be sent from England is not yet certain. It should be remembered that the flight is purely a private venture of Capt. Lancaster's, and its resumption depends entirely upon his decision. Certain delay should be avoidable as an inspection of the machine by the insurance parties is possible on the spot. This fine flight began from Croydon on October 14, witnessed by Lady Ryrie, wife of the High Commissioner, and Col. Ivo Edwards, of the Air Ministry. The first stage took them toAbbeville, just inside the French coast, and the second to Le Bourget. A fog delayed the next departure for two hours,but Dijon was gained early in the afternoon (October 16). An hour later the journey was resumed to Lyons. Withregularity the flight then proceeded through Marseilles, Pisa (October 19), Rome and Naples (October 20), Catania,in Sicily (October 21), and Malta (October 22). The sea stage from Malta to Tripoli, on the North Africancoast, was made on October 24, in three hours against a strong wind and in very low clouds. Writing from Tripoli, the pilotspoke in eulogizing terms of his machine and " Cirrus " 30-80 h.p. engine, and of the hospitality and help extendedto him by the Italian Air Force. On the next lap they flew through a sandstorm and againsta 45 m.p.h. wind over hostile country, finally making a perfect landing at Bengazi, where a night was spent in theItalian Air Force base. The Italians were enthusiastic over the performance of the light aeroplane. Sandstorms againmarked their progress from Bengazi to Sollum, and then the weather was good up to Cairo. They had an escort of R.A.F.Vicker's " Vernons " for the four days' flight from Cairo to Baghdad. The first stop on this lap was at Ziza, just beyondthe Dead Sea, but on resuming, bad weather drove them CAPT. LANCASTER'S AVRO "AVIAN " FLIGHT FROM ENGLAND TO MUNTOK : This map showsat a glance how closely Capt. W. N. Lancaster and his passenger, Mrs. Keith Miller, came to accomplishing their plan to fly from England to Australia, a distance of approximately 14,000 miles. The intended"landfall " in Australia was Port Darwin on the North coast. The thick line traces the route taken and shows the principal stopping places. 39
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
