BIG FLIGHT ENDED

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 121, 16 February 1920, Page 7

BIG FLIGHT ENDED

ROSS SMITH REACHES SYDNEY ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME TO GALLANT AIRMEN (By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright (Rec. February 15, 5.5 p.m.) Sydney, February 11. Sir Ross Smith and his companions completed their flight from England this morning. They arrived at the Heads at 10.30 o'clock and ilew up the harbour. The Vimy machine arrived at Ivatoomba from Narramine a few minutes after 10 ; o'clock, and finished the flight to Syd- ■ ney in fifteen minutes. Tho weather was ideal and the townships along (lie route of the Inst stage of the great flight emptied themselves to ; watch the passing of the famous Vimy, which was greeted with the ringing of bells and screaming of endue whistles as the birdmcn circled or did stunts over "them. Every vantage ground round Sydney and suburbs was occupied by expectant crowds long before the signal at the Post Office tower, announcing the departure from Katoomba, was hoisted. There was much excitement when the machine first came in sight. After circling over the prepared ianding place at Mascot, the machine proceeded to the . Heads and made its official entry, thence up the harbour, and round the city to Mascot, where an enormous gathering : witnessed a perfect landing though men who were waiting to catch the wing tips and a crowd of photographers had a narrow escape. Miscalculating tho speed of sucli a large machine, they rushed in too quicklv, but fortunately wero able to save themselves. Amongst the first to greet the aviators wero the parents of Sir Ross Smith and his brother Sir Keith. On the way through the streets and in the Town Hall, where an official reception was given to _ the brothers Smith and their companions, Sergeants Bennett and Shiers, the aviators were i almost overwhelmed by enthusiastic demonstrators. Replying to congratulatory speeches on the gallantry of the feat and the honour and elory which the four gallant, aviators who h'ad flown from one end of the world to the other, had brought to Australia, Sir Ross Smith said that they bad only accomplished what any other Australian with the requisite knowledgo of aviation and opportunities would accomplish. "And therefore." he said, "at times we want to know whßt all this enthusiasm i$ about. After the war we wanted to get homo, and thought we might as ■well fly $iome. So we flew home." Sir Keith Smith said: "It seemed to us that •the Commonwealth had bet us £10.000 that we couW-oot get there. Wo reckoned it ewy mono?, so we said wo will have a fro.# had a po and got ihpre, and iiov cannot understand what all the fuss i« about." The mechanics atfcv'buled mucn of the success of the flight to the excellence of j the machine, nnd the way the crew pull- | ed together.—Press Assn. j ANOTHER COMPETITOR EN ROUTE | London, February 13. The Air Ministry re, ports that Lieutenant Purer (who*',is flying arrived on February 10 at Grottnglie, 10 miles north of Taranto, in Southern Italy—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.