ULM’S ARRIVAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 May 1934, Page 7

ULM’S ARRIVAL

300 YARDS OF WIRE ON PLANE RUSH FOR SOUVENIRS [PICH PBESB ASSOCIATION.] NEW PLYMOUTH, May 12. Mr C. T. P. Ulm, in the Faith in

Australia, landed safely at 2.36 p.m. Attached to the tail of the machine was portion of the electric lines carried away when the plane left Richmond aerodrome, Sydney. With Mr Ulm were his usual Tasman flight companions, Mr G. IT. Allan, co-pilot and radio operator, and Mr R. 13. Boulton, engineer. A fast trip was not anticipated, due to delays caused by the prevailing southerly’ winds, but the plane made the fair time of 14hrs 26mins. On arrival, the flyers were met at the aerodrome by officials of the New Plymouth Airport Board and Aero Club. The reception, however, was informal, and during the short stay at New Plymouth, opportunity was taken to check over the engines. It is anticipated that the. Faith in Australia will be flown to Ninety Mile Beach on Monday for the return flight to Sydney, which will take place eaily next week. The machine stayed in New Plymouth for only 15 minutes, and the engines were not even stopped. The airmen were out of the cabin only long enough to take a cup of tea before continuing their flight to Wellington. All seemed fresh and bright after their 14 hours and a-half in the The navigator stated subsequently, that he was unable to see and until they struck the Taranaki coastline, not far away from the aerodrome. The plane quickly approached the ground and made a perfect landing. Souvenirhunters made a dash for the wire on the plane, but Mr Ulm stated that he himself desired the wire as a memento. , Visibility, stated Mr Allen, was only fair. Particularly over the last 400 miles strong retarding southerly winds were encountered. Asked how the weather had been over the earlier part of the flight, Mr Allen replied: "I don’t know. I wasn’t looking.” For the greater part of the way the plane was flown at a height of between 7000 and 8000 feet. The 300 yards of wire caught in the tail wheel made a heavy drag in the wind. Mr Allen said that this wire was a signalling line stretched across the ground at Richmond Aerodrome. He had been informed of the mishap by radio. During the flight, the Faith in Australia was in radio communication with the Makura and Wanganella. Mr Ulm was anxious to reach Wellington before dusk. Rain was falling as the plane again took off and set a direct course for her ultimate destination

AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, May 13. Ulm in the “Faith of Australia- arrived in Wellington from New Plymouth at 4.30 p.m. on Saturday, and spent to-day resting. His present plans are to stay in Wellington until Tuesday. FENCE JUST MISSED. SYDNEY, May 13. In addition to striking and breaking high tension wires during the take-off at Richmond on Friday night, the “Faith in Australia” narrowly missed a boundary fence at the end of the aerodrome. Workmen were employed till early this morning repairing the damage to the electric wires, which were those which fed the aerodrome with current. — GOODWILL MESSAGES. WELLLINGTON, May 14. Explaining the reason for the Tasman. flight, Ulm, in an interview, explained that he had read in the Press a letter from Mr Forbes to Mr Lyons, in which Mr Forbes stated, among other things, that the trans-Tasman flight achievements were doing much to still further strengthen the ties of commerce between the two countries. He also read that Mr Lyons was fram ing a goodwill message to Mr Forbes and the people of New Zealand. Ulm said that he wrote to Mr Lyons, saying he was able to endorse from personal knowledge of the great goodwill that existed between New Zealand and Australia, all that Mr Forbes had said, and suggested that his letter to Mr Forbes should be flown across. “Mr Lyons accepted, .with enthusiasm, hence,” said Ulm, "we have ariived on a goodwill flight bringing to New Zealand messages from the Governor-General of Australia, the Governor of New South Wales, the Governor of Queensland, the Prime Minister of Australia, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Commerce, Lord Mayors of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Federal President of the Returned Soldiers and Sailors’ Association, the State President of the New South Wales Returned Soldiers’ League, President of the Australian Flying Corps’ Association, and other officials of the Commonwealth.” Ulm said that when the return flight was completed he would make flights of the Tasman in the months of September, October, December, February, April and the end of May, so ho would be well on towards completing a survey from the point of view of having flown in every month of the year. He was convinced that we were very close to the time when it would be possible to operate a completely safe and regular air service between Australia and New Zealand. Ulm pointed out that the type of aircraft he was using was not designed for the class of work that he would be entailed by the regular service between New Zealand and Australia, and would not be of the type to be used shortly. There would be available aircraft cruising at between 150 and 200 miles an hour, capable of accomplishing the whole of the journey with 50 per cent, of power units out of action, and it was such a type he believed would be used in the trans-Tasman service. During the next few weeks he, would be submitting to both the Australian and New Zealand Governments very definite suggestions regarding the establishment of a regular service. Ulm paid a tribute to Lord Wakefield and his company, which is paying the expenses of the return flight, and also the “Sydney Sun,” which printed a special New Zealand edition on the afternoon the flight was commenced, and delivered at the drome ready to be stowed away in the Faith 1

of Australia. Several hundred copies of this were handed to the Mayor of Wellington, this morning, with a suggestion that they should bo disposed of for charity, an idea, which Mr Hislop readily approved. A message brought, by the Faith of Australia from Sir Philip Game, Gov-ernor-General of New South Wales, to

tho people of New Zealand, says: Ulm has done much to strengthen the material links which unite the two countries. His message was written in the Far Northwest, and lie felt it would gather up the goodwill of. all men and women on tho land on the long journey to Sydney for conveyance with speed and success Io Now Zealand. The message of the Australian Minister of Commerce, Mr F. H. Stewart, to Mr Masters, says: Ulm is undertaking the transmission of a. written com-

munication across the Tasman. A short space of a few hours is drawing closer together the ties which unite the two countries in their mutual desire for a still further extension of inter-Dominion trade. Common aims in commerce are to bring into still closer co-operation the Dominions of Australia and New Zealand, whose names are united forever in the glori-

ous name of Anzac. Tho Governor of Queensland, in a message to Lord Bledisloe, looks forward to the not distant time when he and Lord Blesdisloe will be able to exchange week-end visits.

JEAN BATTEN. BASRA, May 13. Jean Batten landed at Shaibah. She was delayed by storms.

DUTCH ENTERPRISE. LONDON, May 13. A Dutch steamship company is reportedly negotiating for the purchase of a new Zeppelin with a view to establishing regular airship service between Amsterdam and Batavia, possibly extending the route to Australia. ALTITUDE RECORDS. LONDON, May'l2. H. W. Penrose, flying a Wapiti heavy-oil-engine plane, is reported to have ascended to a height of 28,500 feet, .thus beating the American heavy-oil-engine plane record of 23,000 feet. Penrose's sealed barograph has been sent to the Aero Club for an official checking.

ROME, May 12. Flight Commander Mauro and Sergeant Olivari claim an altitude record of 24,600 feet with a two-tou commercial load, thus beating the French record of 22,521 feet. CENTENARY RACE CONDITIONS. WASHINGTON, May 12. The United Press Association has informed the National Aeronautic Association of the receipt of Press reports ,from Melbourne that the Australian Committee for the Centenary Air Race plans to take no further action; that it will be sufficient if speedy American commercial category planes compete; and that there is no wish to assume any moral responsibility Un the event of any mishap to speed planes due to the existence of only makeshift ground facilities en route. The Aeronautic Association has made the following reply: “We are still hoping that any United States racing planes that can use the makeshift ground facilities can enter the race. We are no more desirous than the Australian Committee to assume the responsibility for crashes. We would, incidentally, like to know if there is any possibility of the Darwin port being enlarged, since it is, apparently, the critical point in the speed race." WILEY POST’S PLAN. NEW YORK, May 12. Wiley Post has announced: “If they get. this argument settled over the entrance reqirements, so that an R License Ship is eligible,” he intends to equip the plane “Winnie Mae” with a supercharger and a controlled pitch propeller. Thus, he says, she can achieve 35,000 ft altitudes, and make 300 miles an hour, completing the London-Melbourne flight in 50 hours or less.