WORLD FLIGHT

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 147, 23 June 1928, Page 17

WORLD FLIGHT

BY FRENCH AIRMEN ■A STOliy OF ADVENTURE FROM PARIS AND,HOME AGAIN _ One.of the most successful and longest air tours , round the" world in the history of aviation was concluded' on 14tli April, in the evening, when Captain Dioudonne Costcs and his compiiiiion, -Lieut-Commander Joseph Le Brix, landed at Lc Bairget from Athens, via Marseilles. They have ear"ried through a mission for France similar to Colonel Lindbergh's recent mission lor America, demonstrating the reliability of Ilmir ;!<Vi;nt:.li machine and l'TC'JH'li engine, -says "Flight." The same machine, a bivguet XIX biplane fitted with a single 00.0 \i.\>. liispanoKuiza engine, was ilown throughout, but at New Xork, when 23,000 miles had been flown, a new Hispano-Suiza engine of the same horse-power was installed to finish the rest of.the tour. The performance of the inachino was further enhanced by its record of 40,000 miles flown before the world flight began. It had created long-distance records in 1926. Costes himself ..used it with' Cap; tain lliguot on the Paris-.lask flight .of 31)45 miles in JJ)2(j. Costcs Is one.of.the foremost pilots in l'Yanee. During the war he distinguished himself by shooting down .13 enemy machines, and since the war lie has also won-a notable career in; aviation. His companion, Le Brix, is a noted' French naval pilot and nagivator, with a fine list, of achievements to his name. . . -.-. The..machine was in preparation last year for an :Atlaritic flight fronv'- Paris to New: York, but unavoidable1 delay occurred; Thou the unfavourable season ! arrived1 audit was thus decided to essay .the- first1 non-stop flight over tBo South' Atlantic.. It will bo remembered ..that .early, in -1927 another French pilot, Captain' St.: Roman, lost his life while attempting a similar flight. Costes at first proposed to link Paris with.the Argentine Republic by air in flvo days. This was frustrated by the bad weather subsequently encountered along the South "American coast, and the hindrance'of-a slight mishap to the propeller which happened when. they landed at night after flying the'ocean. Actually tho two countries mentioned wore linked in nine days with six stops. THE START. On 10th October, -tho Nungessev-ct-Coli left Paris in the morning with 650 gallons.of petrol and 12 gallons of oil on'board..lt flew continuously for 26 hours-30 minutes, and landed the two Frenchmen. at St. Louis, Senegal, on tho west coast of Africa, 2658 miles from Paris. That was a fine start and augured well for tlie next dangerous stage over; the sea. Costes said that there sufficient petrol left for another six-eight flight. Every precaution was now insured for the resumption. Transmission and receiving, wireless apparatus were installed; two rubber boats attached, with bellows instea'dtof !a pump,for inflation in quick time; while, the Frenchmen's .flying dress.was so1 designed as to oriable it ..to; bo;- rapidly shed, should necessity ( arise;-- 1 . "-'■■„•(■■■■'..';.;.■..-:: '■■' Rain fell at St. Louis for many days,' making the grourid-.-so soddon that when an attempt to' take off w.as mado on 13th' April, with ,475 gallons of petrol on board it was abortive. The. next day, 14th. October,'the difficulty was overcome and the Brcguet started on its great ocean flight at 6.23 a.m., leaving the coast at Dakar.an hour later and heading for the sea. Winds did not trouble their progress, but neither were they..helpful' and off. tho South' Ameri-. can coast'thick fog lay for four hours. In spite of this their navigation was so accurate for tho' distance of 2125 miles that tho; landfall occurred only 25 miles off the objective. Shortly bofore midnight and 19 hours 50 minutes after, the departure, from St. Louis, Africa,' the landing was effected in tho dark/at '-Port Natal, Brazil, with slight damagO:to the propeller. Le Brix, the sailor, repaired it the.next day. Then began the long tour of South America in the interests of French aviation. They were received in triumph everywhere, and honours wore showered upon them. Picking up glory was not, however, the intention of the Frenchmen, and they worked hard and dangerously in the interests of their country, flying for hours over vast areas of jungle, mountain, and plain, where, in some parts, no machine had. ever crossed before.. On 16th October the Bregttct started along thocoast for Rio do Janeiro in very bad weather. Descents to the ocean' surface were often a necessity iir order to penotrato the fog belts over coast and sea, but in face the this 900 miles were covered that day and the landing made at Caravellas; whilst the next day brought the airmen to Rio de Janeiro after flying 466 miles in 4 hours 19 minutes. There an enthusiastic reception included a welcome from President Washington Luis. ' ... Another 900 miles stage was flown on ..19th October in about 12 hours to reach Polotas, and the weather was the worst encountered since the departure from Paris. Gostes remarked that the would have, preferred ■to cross the Atlantic again rather than do that trip down the coast. Violent storms and fog provoked,, them to wonder whatwould happen. '. "■:'..'■ BASE AT BUENOS AIKES. Using, Buenos Aires as a base, Costes and Le Brix next commenced their numerous visits to South American cities. They discussed proposed air services for. mails and passengers, which the- French" Government is ; anxious to inaugurate in that continent. Their repeated longdistance non-stop flights over dangerous country, clearly demonstrated to tho people the practical reliability of aircraft for such services. Paraguay, Montevideo, and Uruguay were all visited from Buenos Aires, .the return trip often being flown in one day. A return journey .between Buenos Aires and Asuncion takes-about ten days by normal travel. The Breguet covered the 1430 miles in 11 hours 4.7, minutes. After another stormy'flight alongthe coast they reached Rio de Janeiro again on 3rd December. Costes wired about it: "Weather -terrible, had to go through.or drown." A return to Buenos Aires followed nine days later, where, ■

after .a rest of six liours, tho Frenchmen went (ji'.'lo.'Srinthigo, Chile, crossing the. Amk's on thr-Wiiy at dawn and covering altogether from Rio do Janeiro to Santiago, -.174 miles, in -0 hours ;M minutes Ilying-limi;. At La Paz, iiuli'viu, is the highest, landing grown' ii the world, X'.), 000 feet above se.a level. The B rogue t Innded on it on '21st December ii.fl.er Hying from Santiago, a distance of 1305 miles, in 12 hours, a stage,which liiid'not previously been traversed by air.. . . Meanwhile Colonel C. Lindb'crgh's "good-will" air tour\)f South America was in.full swing, and Cosies and Le Brix turned north in the hope of meet; ing the . American pilot. Leaving for Lima, Peru,, on. L'S/th December, they remained ten day* at that city in thil interest of their country, and then flew SIC miles: in 8 hours,', c... 11th January, to Guayaquil,. -Ecuador. Lindbergh 's trail was crossed at-Panama City two days later; then from Colon followed a long flight of 1050 miles in 9 hours .to Caracas, Venezuela. Came a return to Colon- on 24th January, after a trip of 600 miles'.in.' 5. hours to Baran.quilla, Colombia,' and" V course northward brought-th-c-tourists- to Guatemala City after Hying 000 miles over mountain and jungle, for 8-J hours. Six hours' Hying on 2S)th January linked up Mexico City, 700 miles distant, and'a great .reception was accorded them during the five days' visit. ..: KST THE. PNITED STATES. On 4th February, the Breguot flow into tho United. States and. landed at New Orleans after flying l'l00: miles in ■10 hours 8 minutes. It was picked up on tho border by three U.S.A.. .machines, from Kelly Field, but became separated later and did not see them again until close to..New Orleans, whoretlirue Navy* Curtis Hawks appeared to.escort tho Frenchmen ■to the landing "field!- Tho course followed on this.. Uust stage had led via Tampico,. along .the coast to XJalveston, and then over Beaumont and inland for 50 miles. Sth February'was a bad day for flying. Heavy clouds, rain and. fog prevailed aloug'"the route to Washington, and the experts were consequently against a resumption of tho flight, but Gostes decided to push oil from Montgomery, to which place he had flown from New Orleans. An es: cort started with him' but was soon lost sight', of, and ..'after' a" period"iof-. anxiety at'the capital the Brcguet landed- after flying for seven hours over 750 miles. ' • Amongst. the- officials there to greet, them wore Maor 11. C. Davidson; M. Claudel, tho. French Ambassador; and Mr. Davis, Secretary off War. The President; received them in Washing-

ton, and festivities were. generously accorded during the five days' visit. A flight of two hours over a distance of 225 miles preceded the. arrival in Now York on 11th February." At this stage of the world tour 23,000. miles had been flown sin.cc the Paris-start,'at an- average speed of 107. m.p.h.' in 215 hours' flying time. Not oncejiad'tho HispanbSuiza engine given - trouble, and tlie only mishap in any way was that already mentioned, tho damaged propeller tip at Port Natal, Brazil, which Lo-Bvix soon repaired. Fuel consumption had averaged-20 gallons to tlio hour for the first part of the flight and a little moro for the complete tour to Now York. A now 600 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engine was uttcd-.for the remainder of" the programme. The United States, from New York [to San Francisco, was next flown with four stops. Leaving 2nd March, a landing was made at Sharon, Pennsylvania, the same day. Detroit was reached on 4th March,: Chicago sth March, and a fine non-stop trip of• 1149 miles in 11 hours 30 minutes on-6th March brought them to"Book Springs,'.whilst another 776 miles-, in .7 hours 46. minutes the next day linked up San Francisco. The distance flown right- across the continent was 2672: miles.'. BY STEAMER TO JAPAN. A'steamer-was boarded next and the made to • Japan. Then began the record-flight lipme.to Paris ill six days.'... Leaving Tokio,' Bth April, the Frenchmen, "flew 2620 miles to-Hanoi, Indp;Ghiua/"by'th.6 following afternoon, haying made a landing en route at tho.'Tonking frontier" for :ro-fuclling. Another. 1400. miles in .13* umrs on 10th April brought'them -to". Calcutta from Hanoir then-India was spanned to Karachi'on 11th April, a'distance of 1405 miles, with ouo intermediate landing at Jodhpur.: On 12th April came Basr;., another .stage "of over' 1000 miles; Aleppo; 14' SO ,miles, on- 12th and 13th -April;" Athens, 13th." April, 840 miles; and finally::camc Paria, on 14th April, 1420 miles from Athens,, via Marseilles: During the brief :stay at Marseilles a wing was damaged, but-'they resumed iii spite of this, arid: put down at.Le Bourget: with the wing badly stripped of the fabric. It was estimated that the crowd which greeted them numbered 100,000. ■•-."...■ They were officially received by M. Bokanowskj, Minister of Commerce and Aeronautics, and taken- through the streets of Paris- through dense-crowds to meet M. Poincaro. The following morning they received tho Legion of Honour from the President at Eambouillet. Costes said that they had flown 35,944

miles in 338 .flying hours. Tho longest non-stop stage was .at the start, from Paris to Senegal/ Africa, 2G58 miles. When tho landing' was made for more fuel in China danger.threatened the airmen -from the Chinese;' who fingered tho machine all over, and manifested their hostility to tho Frenchmen. Had any display of resentment been shown an ugly incident might have happened. TABLE OF DISTANCES. •The following-gives the approximate statistics of the French World Tour:—

Stages. - • .Mileages. limes. . ' Urs. Mlns. Paris-St. Louis '.' :: 2U5S 26 30 St. -Luiils-Natal ".."." 2125 19 50 Nuiai-Ciirtivcllas .' '. .000 8 45 Cimivcllas-Ulo 1. dc .Janeiro ' 460 -1 . 19 Rio de Jaiielrii-Pclotas '. '900 '12 0 Pclolas-Buenos Aires-..-..-' 453 # 4 • ti Buenos Aires-Montevideo .' -180. .2 0 .Montevideo-Buenos Aires . 113 .1 10 Buenos Aires-Asuncion- .. - 745 . .. 5 40 Asuncion-Buenos Aires .... 745. 6 7 Buenos Aires-Florianopolic S70 9 30 Florlanopolls-R.de Janeiro '497 5 0 Rlode Janeiro-Buenos Aires 1307 11 50 ilucnos .Aires-Santiago. . 807 8 35 Santiago-La Paz ..;...■".".■ 1305 "12 0 La' Paz-Lima'■•- ..';.;. 745 7 30 Lima-Guayaquil (Ec:> .-. . >8I6 . S 0 Guayaiiuil-jPu.nama City .. . S07 '7 0 I'anamn . City-Colon .'-; ...V 40 . . — Colon-Caracas (Vert.)' ..-1030 9 0 Carncas-llariUKiuIlla. '■.'.".. : 000 - .. a 0 BaraiHiuilU-Colon ..;■!.'.1403 . 4 '-8 Coloii-Uuateniula City '.. 900 ." S 30 Guatemala CIty-Mcx. City 700' 0 0 Mexico City-New Orleans 1100 10 8 New Orleans-Montgomery 390 — - Montgomery-Washington. .750 7 0 Washington-New .York .. 225 2 0 New York-Sharon ....... 350 3 IS Sharon-Detroit ;.-..-. 180 2 IS Detroit-Chicago ......... 250 . — — Chicago-Rock. Springs ';,,. 1140 11 30 Rock Sprlngs-S. Francisco 776 7 46 Tokio-Hanoi 2620 21 17 Hanoi-Calcutta ..;..... -M00 ...13 , 30 Calcutta-Karachi-,:'.:.';".'.:..:'.1403 — — Karachi-Basra .,'.. v ...... 1330 ..-" ~ Basra-Aleppo .:...' ' USD -.- — Aleppo-Athens •.. S40 ,-9 0 Athens-Paris .11-0. . U ■•' Illl