The pride of the Australian Ai Force is the. child of Major Wacket's the Widgeon, " seaplane designed by Major. constructed at No 2
New South Wales. A trial was (made on the Sydney ha dour recently, and wild cheers of excitement came from the members of the infant unit which had distinguished themselves by its con struction, A preliminary canter a few weeks ago, was not entirely satisfactory, the' rough seas damage ing the wings of the machine, which came down. This circumstance led to the usual pessimists saying many very discouraging things tot project of producing in Austral 4 machine suitable to our requirements, and added to the Joy of th No. 2' Station that the second trial was found satisfactory, a speed of 100 miles per hour was attained. Although the flight was not of long duration considerable importance attached to it, and every good wish for continued success was given, Mrs, Wackett who witnessed her husband's fall on the first flight!, Was overcome with pleasure and emotion at the triumph of her husband and his machine, One result of this success, and Nothing succeeds like success" we all know, however trite the saying have become, is the interest ainoi business men for aviation is i creasing. Different units of the Defence Forces have been giving considerable thought. to this means of transport and. its development for some time past, and the Citizen Forces have commenced a course of training for 30 of their number to be always under instruction at the Point Cook Flying School No. 1 Air Station, in Victoria, Now the business world is entering in to the arena, and in addition to the support which' the Club established ut Es-sencion, near Methourne, in Victor Doing well supported, the Tasmanians have formed a syndicate to cons the venture of supplying an mail cerviee between the - Island State and the mainland, with Vi toria's capital, Melbourne. The construction of fying boats of the Widgeon type would cost £5000, and the Tasmanians are studying the sea-plane carefully at the present ime, hoping to be able to get a much more rapid and efficient (nail and passenger service for their fellow island inhabitants than has been feasible before. A trial made with (we of the planes now at Point Cook station, was aceomplished a short time azo, but the cost of importing machines had to be considered in a financial venture. Colonel Brinsmesd of the Victor district Air Force gave u favour report.
Colonel Brinsmead has just re-rymed from an 850 mile run to Queensland, where he says he was deeply impressed with the utility, of the Charleville to Clonourry service. Not only as a time saver but us a life saver in many eases. In a previous letter mention was made of individual cases where medical id was procured by plane and even Patients conveyed in the planes to hospitals. Colonel Brinsmead gave in his report a personal experience of such a case during his flight. A contrasting case is the death of an, old stock-man residing on the "Back-station" of a Queensland cattle run. Out of the way of any but the rarest of visitors, had this ofd man been near an air route he may have been able to attract attention of passing airmen, and so received help and medical' aid. The old man, some three score years and ten, had evidently broken his leg while out on his work, it was apparent that ho had managed to get to his hut, on horse back, for his horse was atill beside him saddled when he was found some days after his death. These types of tragedy will be rendered almost impossible when air services become more numerous, and provision can be made for 8.0.5. signals to be picked up by the pilot The expedition of travelling by air, gan be gauged by the fact Colonel Bringmead did in 10 hours a journey [as the crow flies, which had he taken the round about rail Would have taken him four dai While passengers on the Essendon, Club planes go to the Murray for} cod fishing for the day, some 200 miles or more.
Lord Stonehaven Travels by Plane The great comfort which aircraft can be to the public man is evidenced by the facility with which the Governor-General, Lord Stonehaven, ix enabled to carry out all his duties however onerous, and at the same time acquaint himself with the people, the country, and all the characteristic, needs and conditions of both. He' has yesterday returned from a trip from Jervis Bay, the Naval which he left on' Wednesd: visiting Coo! [undraen route arrived back in Vic-{toria's capital yesterday at noon. He states that he intends to use this means of establishing himself, in closer touch with the people, and to bring those of more or less remote areas into more central touch with the King's Representative, in place of their having the old feeling that he might be a character out of a fairy tale,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.