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Aviation History
1929
1929-1 - 0053.PDF
FLIGHT, JULY 4, 1929 ACROSS AMERICA ON A "CIRRUS-AVIAN Lady Heath's Sales- Tour IN the interests of the American " Cir-rus " engine, Lady Heath has com-pleted a light 'plane sales tour across America. We are informed that 6,000 miles were flown during the month of May on a zig-zag course, forty manu- facturers and schools were visited, and 125 demonstrations given. Her machine was a "Cirrus-Avian," and the tour was not without incident. At Emporia, a town in the centre of the continent, verging on the West, Lady Heath arrived as the Sheriff was hastening off a pilot to catch a thief who had stolen an aero- plane the night before, and was en- deavouring to cross the Mexican Border. In the south-west of the Continent were extensive floods, and even air- ports were only spared small dry spots. Wichita, Kansas, which calls itself " The Air Capital of the World," although its population only totals 20,000 inhabi- tants, has fourteen airports and twenty- seven manufacturing companies. Lady Heath had the opportunity of flying a popular type of training machine, " The Swallow," fitted with a new radial en- gine, the Axelson motor. It impressed her with its performance. It is manu- factured at Los Angeles. During an hour's flight from Temple to Fort Worth, Texas, the " Avian " touched 140 m.p.h. Lady Heath arrived there at the period when the two American airmen, Robbins and Kelly, made their endurance record (with the aid of refuelling) in the Ryan monoplane (" Whirlwind "). At that time of the year the heat south of Texas was as bad as in Africa, but although various kinds of oil were experimented with, the " Cirrus " ran well. Extra petrol tanks had to be fitted when in that area, for the course led over deserts and mountain ranges. Fly- ing had to start at dawn and finish no later than the middle of the morning owing to the extreme heat. In the heart of the desert is the picturesque little town of Tucson, at which aircraft always call, surrounded by Indian encampments. The " Avian " landed there. From Wichita, westwards, lie the great oil wells, including the largest in the world. There are over a thousand wells, and all the great oil companies, such as Standard Oil, have their own villages and camps. Everyone lives in his car and houses are only built for the day. Another port of call Miss Marvel Crosson, who, withher brother, operates an air service in Alaska, using Fairchild cabinmachines. A thousand miles is flown in a day, and Miss Crossontakes alternative turns with her brother on the service. for the tourist was Lindbergh Field, SanDiego, on the Pacific Coast. Airwoman Runs Arctic Air Service Lady Heath met an interesting air-woman in Miss Marvel Crosson, whose brother had flown with Sir Hubert Wil-kins. Brother and sister are running an air service in Alaska with two four-seaterFairchild machines fitted with skiis. Miss Crosson flies one and her brother theother. The distance covered is 1,000 miles, and it is flown in one day. Asthe prevailing wind is from the north- west and blows strong at altitude, ittakes four hours in one direction and eight hours in the other. It is possibleto accomplish the distance in one day, because there is perpetual daylight inthe Arctic Circle for six months of the year. Miss Crosson is said to be the onlyairwoman to fly into the Arctic Circle. She informed Lady Heath that herstandard equipment on the Fairchild always includes petrol for the returnflight, as there are no petrol dumps, and skiis for travelling over soft snow,and moccasins for hard snow, and rations for a week in case of forced landings.If a machine fails to arrive, no worry is felt before a fortnight, as it takes thattime for a message to get through from any outlying settlement where a landingmay be made. There is one stretch over which thisair line operates which takes twenty-two days to cross by dog track. Lady Heath was hospitably receivedthroughout her American tour, and esti- mates large business for American CirrusInc. Ltd. DevelopmentsMany British light aeroplanes and aero engines are being manufactured byAmerican companies under licence. The Avro "Avian" is produced out there by the Whittelsey Mfg. Co., of Bridge-port, Conn., who recently secured the services of Capt. R. J. Goodman Crouch, who was formerly with the Air Ministry. Blackburn types of aircraft, military and commercial, in-cluding the " Bluebird " light aeroplane, are to be produced in Detroit. It is stated that a combination is forming which willhave sole rights concerning Blackburn aircraft for both North and South America, with, pro tern., the exception of Brazil. Desert round Tucson, in Arizona, over which Lady Heath flew, showing the tall cacti which covers the desert.In the other picture the Sheriff of a western town is sending off a pilot to catch a thief who had stolen an aeroplane and was flying for the Mexican Border. 551
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