New that the clamour over the serious accidents which befell some airmen and planes belonging to the Australian Air Force, during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York, has died down, the public are not one whit the wiser as to the: real, or given reasons for the a¢- cidents, A new interest in connexion with aeroplanes has arisen; perhaps: the successful flights of the Americans, Linbergh and Chamberlin, have much to do with it, At any rate, the Australian Air Force haa before very long, a Jattempt willie made to bridge the between New Zealand and Australia in one hop. 'That Australia possesses airmen capable of acecinplishing the feat, provided they are given fair planes, goes} without saying. The Air' Force self must feel as if it has been jet down" in the last few years, for it has not attempted any really' long flight. since the all-around Australia flight by Gable and Me-Intyre, and the chief of the Force, Colonel Willigms, who made flight around the neighbouring: islands to the northern coast of Australi When it is realized that, far back in 1919, Australians participated in practically every long distance effort on the part of the world's airmen, including Hawker's gallant attempt to cross the At-antic solo; Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith's successful journey to Australia; Lieutenants Parer and Mc-Intosh, who also covered the distance, though not in the time alloted to win the prize; Captain C. E. Howell and Air Mechanic Frazer, who were lost. off St. George's Bay, Corfu, and oth.r Australian airmen attempting the ight who lost their lives at the commencement stage. Is it to be wondered the Australian Air Force are hankering after fresh laurels regain the prestige which some of them consider has been lost. The whole proposal is merely a matter of finance and the Minister for Defence, Sir William Glasgow, fully sympathizes with them in their' desire. As New Zealand airmen are anxious to try their wings across the intervening waters, ther? is the probability of a race, the trophy for which will be the honor' of linking our two Australasian countries by air. The Australians joukl not be far behind,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.