THE TASMAN FLIGHT

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 83, 6 January 1928, Page 9

THE TASMAN FLIGHT

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.

Sydney, January 5.

The New Zealand aviators, Captain Kight, Captain Hood, and Lieutenant Moucrieff, express great satisfaction with their monoplane, and anticipate no difficulty in making the Tasman flight, but they intend to take no risks, and will not hop off till all the conditions are absolutely in their favour.

They anticipate leaving Sydney at about 2 o’clock in the morning and landing at Wellington at 6 o’clock in the evening, or thereabouts. They will head direct to Farewell Spit. The aviators are almost certain to be Lieutenant Moucrieff and Captain Hood. Both of these men speak most highly of Captain Kight’s organisation and the arrangements made with the Australian Government.

Captain Kight says that everything has gone smoothly from the jump. The mechanics are now working on the machine, making it as perfect as possible for the epic flight.

PLANNING TO LEAVE ON MONDAY MORNING

Dr. Kidson, Director of the Meteorological Department, lias received a cable message from the Meteorological Office, Sydney, stating that the airmen are planning to leave Australia on the flight across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand about 2 a.m. on Monday next, if the weather conditions are favourable.

AIRMEN SATISFIED WITH MACHINE START PLANNED FOR MONDAY IF CONDITIONS FAVOURABLE The New Zealand aviators express great satisfaction with the monoplane supplied for the flight across the Tasman, and anticipate no difficulty in making the j’oumey. They are planning to start at 2 a.m. on Monday, if the weather is favourable, and expect to arrive about 6 o’clock in the evening.

STATEMENT BY KIGHT REASON FOR LANDING AT BONG BONG Sydney. January 5. Captain Kight says that the flight to New Zealand by the New Zealand airmen will not be started before Saturday night at the earliest, and it may be Sunday night before the attempt is made. He expressed no fears regarding the ability of the machine to fly the distance, and added that it had not yet been decided as to who should make the flight. The member-of the team to drop out would not be decided till the afternoon before the flight. Captain Kight stated that the reason the landing at Bong Bong was made on Tuesday was that the airmen should ascertain their position. They were flying strictly by compass reckoning in order to ascertain how the compass would behave in the journey across the Tasman. They took no notice of the railway lines or other landmarks. When they saw a high mountain they thought that it was the Blue Mountains. Later they found that it was Bowral.. The only thing that went wrong on the flight was the wireless apparatus.

The airmen express gratification that Mr. Bruce has withdrawn the prohibition against the flight, and say:

We realise that we are making the Hight on our own responsibility and without in any waj’ involving either the Australian or the New Zealand Governments.