TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 105, 3 May 1919, Page 7

TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

RIVALS READY TO START. (Received 0.2". a.m.) ST. JOHN'S, May 2. Harry Hawker and Captain Raynham have been ready for nearly a week to start the trans-Atlantic flight, awaiting only the Air Ministry's report of favourable conditions at sea. Both are living near their hangars ready to start at a moment's notice. A start seemed probable to-day. The local weather conditions were good, but the Air Ministry's report stating that conditions at sea were favourable, came too late.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) Hawker nnd Lieut. Grieve, his companion, when interviewed last week, interestingly sketched their final plans. [They expect to find the upper weather roughly divisible into four zones, and I intend swiftly to alternate between high and low altitudes witli a view to escaping storms which are frequent in midAtlantic in April and May. They hope that headwinds will similarly be avoided. It is probable thnt they will fly low through th,- fog-bound ice, area as far as Grandbanks. and will then ascend to an altitude of 8000 ft. into clearer air to get 'the advantage of the full moon, desponding to a low level at daylight. Grieve regards the western half as the most dangerous. If tbe eastern half is safely reached il win may be expected. In the. I event of disaster being threatened Hawker nnd be will try to reach the nearest ship, and will abandon the aeroplane alongside it. Hawker and Grieve refuse seriously to contemplate failure, and reckon thnt they will reach Ireland lin 18 hours, and will cover the additional . r ><)o miles lo Brooklands if pos- , siblc. An American airman at St. John's believes that Major Morgan and I Hawker will fail. He says that the 1 Sopwiths steering is defective, and it is I likely that Hawker will lose his way.