EPIC OF THE AIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 155, 4 July 1927, Page 7

EPIC OF THE AIR.

| ILLUSTRIOUS FLIGHT. ; Adds Dramatic Story To History j j Of Aviation. i | VALUABLE DATA OBTAINED. | ———— • : - 1 ■ I»y Cable.—rress Association.—Copyright.) ' (Received 0 ii.rti.} PARIS, July 3. j It now transpires that the landing; in the sea at Yer-sur-Mer, France, j after their dramatic flight in the | monoplane America from New York, ! cruised injurv to Commander Bvrd's i chc.-it. * ' | ! Lieutenant Acosta, the ]iilc>t. also i ! received injuries and had his collarbone j j lraciured. Both were treated by a local ' j Mirgeoii. ! -\o story in the history of aviation is] ; more dramatic than the endin.., of the j America's illustrious flight of thousands of miles over the Atlantic in blinding' rain and freezing v.inds, only to be I hopelessly lost in a dense fog and rain- j storm over France. The 'plane descended in the Channel, j "200 yards from the tiny village of Yer- I sur-Mer, being virtually wrecked, after) a mysterious five hours' night flight , around France, ofteu within earshot of | her goal, yet unable to reach it. I Byrd and his companions, shut off; from the world by fog, and with their ' compasses irreparably disordered, just! ' flew blindly, seeking the lights and bea- ; j cons which would have denoted their ; goal. They believe they passed over Paris, then unwittingly turned south. I Meantime the confused wireless mesj sages received were so blurred as to be ! untranslatable. i i When the machine grounded sooner ' than expected, tearing off her landing ; gear and doing other damage, the airmen saved the valuable scientific data they' had procured on their flight and every- ] thing else of importance. After leaving America they saw neither sky nor water. Their watches ' stopped at 2 o'clock. The flight lasted 43 hours 10 minutes, and it is computed they covered 3512 miles, compared with Lindbergh's 30 hours for 3010 miles, and Clarence Chamberlain's 41 hours 3-3 minutes for 37i>0 miles. BYRD'S COMMENTS. ! ! | WORSE THAN POLAR FLIGHT. PARIS, July 3. | Tn a statement to journalists at Vcr- i sur-Mer, Commander Byrd said he was j gratified that he had been able to save , his notes and scientific observations on > the requirements of a regular air service between the old and the new worlds. I These he believed to be unique docu- i ments. They describe the air currents,: altitudes and temperatures. The airman said the engines of the | monoplane were wonderful until the fuel I ran out. He and his companions were J not fatigued. They stopped the flight i only because they were compelled to do so. ( Their reception of wireless messages , I was hindered by the atmosphere, also by j i the too zealous people who upset the ! communications. !

' Commander Byrd said the hardships of his flight over the North l'ole were light compared to the anxiety and the mental concentration caused when they were lost and helpless at the most critical stage of the flight. The airman said, he believed the protracted nature of the flight made the mileage coveted 4200. The Paris newspapers generally conclude that much remains to be done before the landing of long-distance 'planes will be safe. "Le Petit Journal" urges that future flights be commenced at night in order to avoid darkness and difficulties when the airmen arrive fatigued at their journey's end. In pouring rain a huge crowd welcomed Commander Byrd and his companions to Paris. They looked little the worse for their experience. The airmen subsequently attended at the Elvsee, where they were received by the President, M. Doumergue. The monoplane America is being dissembled at Ver-sur-Mer for conveyance to Le Bourget.