THE flight by Squadron Leader J. W. Gillan, on February 10, using a Hawker “Hurricane”, a R.A.F. high-speed fighter machine, directs attention to the development that has taken place, both in speeds of modern aircraft and in the methods of navigation. While this was not a properly observed speed record, in the sense that it was timed with great accuracy and afterwards reduced to a speed relative to still air, it was an ordinary flight undertaken under practical conditions upon a standard machine, and should be repeatable, under reasonable weather conditions, as circumstances demand. The flight was made in darkness, leaving Turnhouse Aerodrome, Edinburgh, at 5.5 p.m., arriving at Northolt Aerodrome, London, at 5.53 p.m. The distance was 327 miles, giving an average speed of 408·75 miles an hour, assuming the course to have been the shortest distance between the two points. This speed -was helped by a high following wind of at least 50 miles an hour, although not exactly a tail wind on the line of flight. The course was flown entirely blind by the use of instruments. The “Hurricane” is fully equipped in this respect, carrying directional gyroscope, turn indicator, artificial horizon, rate of climb indicator, and a sensitive altimeter. Actually it was a real test of this method of flying, as much of the flight was made through or above cloud entirely obscuring even such landmarks as would have been visible after dark. Also the windscreen was coated with ice at certain stages of the flight, a further hindrance to vision. The machine was climbed slowly to 17,000 feet altitude, and maintained at that height until it was necessary to put it into a slow descent. This occurred over Bedford, one of the few towns that the pilot had been able to see through the clouds. He reported that he had been perfectly comfortable and warm, had had no occasion to use oxygen, and had no feeling of fatigue. The cockpit of this type of machine is entirely covered over with transparent cellulose material, and attention is paid to keeping the pilot warm.