ATLANTIC FLYERS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 223, 21 June 1928, Page 9

ATLANTIC FLYERS

ARRIVE AT SOUTHAMPTON ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME TO LONDON (Australia;! Press Assn. —United Service.) London, June 19. Fog and a high sea detained the seaplane Friendship at Burryport for some hours this morning, but the machine left for Southampton at 11.20 a.m. iu continuation of the flight across the Atlantic from America. The Friendship arrived at Southampton amid rousing cheers and the roars of steamers’ sirens. The aviators motored to London, where they were met by a dense, cheering crowd. At the Hyde Park Hotel they were interviewed by newspaper men. RAIN PENETRATED AN ENGINE IN MID-ATLANTIC (Rec. June 20, 7.15 p.m.) London, June 20. Stultz told . the “Daily Express” that before they were half-way across the Atlantic rain penetrated one of the engines. He would not say more, but it was obvious from his tone that the engine did not pull its weight. Miss Earhart, however, did not know of it.

FASTEST TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT ALCOCK AND BROWN’S (British Official Wireless.) ( Kugby, June 19. Sir Arthur Brown, who was the companion of Sir John Alcock in the first flight across the Atlantic iu 1919, set out from Burry Point, South Wales, to-day by motor-boat to congratulate Miss Earhart and her companions, who have just completed a transatlantic seaplane flight. Before he reached the seaplane’s mooring ground, however, the machine ook off and proceeded to Southampton Water. It arrived there early this afternoon, and the aviators were greeted by Mrs. Guest, wife of the former Air Minister, who financed the flight. Ou its transatlantic flight the Friendship was in the air for 21 hours, the length of the course being 2100 miles. The honour of making the fastest transatlantic flight still remains with the Englishmen, Alcock and Brown, who were the first to accomplish the achievement nine years ago, and who, in a Vickers-Vimy biplane with Rolls-Royce engines, averaged 118 miles an hour.

Among the congratulatory telegrams sent to the Friendship’s crew was one from the British Air Minister and the Air Council.