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Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, January 11, 1928. THE FLIGHT OVER TASMAN SEA.

The exploit which New Zealand airmen, at daybreak yesterday, began auspiciously at Sydney, focussed lhe deep intrest of their countrymen, without exception, and, though the journey proceeded successfully for by far the greater part, the first crossing cf Tasman Sea by air was destined to be accomplished with the accompaniment of a wave of anxiety. Tin' fact, however, that the crossing was achieved at the first attempt, must ever stand to the credit of Lieutenant Monerieff, Captain Hood, and their helpers and backers, as well as to their country. The making of Farewell Spit indicates that the course kept was a good one. The means used for maintaining the right course, an electrical compass, is probably the most important item of equipment for sea flying. The compass, of course, differs from the mariner's both in principle and in form. Il is an earih-induetor compass, with no magnetic needle. Its essential leal lire is a small electric generator and a dial which shows the variations in the plane's direction The generator is a miniature dynamo, without a. field magnet, the artificial field being replaced by

the earth’s magnetic field, m which the armature spins. As the aeroplane changes its direction, it swings, and the dynamo brushes move, in relation to the fixed lines of force of lhe earth’s magnetic field, ami the current taken by the armature varies accordingly. An electrical measuring instrument records the current variations, oti a dial marked to register direction changes instead of volts. It is possible that had the airmen decided to make Greymouth, instead of Wellington, last evening, they might hate been able to effect a landing without delay, after sighting the shore. The fact that their fuel supply was sufficient to last them for hours after they reached New Zealand would doubtless induce them to persevere with the plan to land at Trentham. Their experience recalls that of Levine, tlic trans-Atlantic flier, who flew for hour after hour at night over I'Tanee, after crossing rhe. ocean, as stormy conditions obliterated the guiding lights on terra firma in the vicinity of Le Bourget, until finally the plane was brought down just off the coast, in the vicinity of an island village. The Tasman flight has been the dream of aviation enthusiasts in the Dominion and in Australia for years past, since before even American, English and Continental aviators began their wonderful oceanic exploits, from 1919, when the Atlantic was first crossed from America, via Newfoundland, the Azores and Lisbon, until Lindbergh flew it from continent to continent by himself, without stop or mishap. Yesterday’s flight will remain ever memorable, not only because it was a success in so far as the crossing was concerned, but because of the cruise by which it was succeeded in the darkness. 1 .Evidently the airmen were determined to avoid any mishap, for at 2 a.m. they were reported still in the air, after having- cruised in a eirciiil which embraced the Sounds of Marlborough, Porirua Harbour, Foxton, Featherston, Martinborough and Stephen’s Island, at the western entrance of Cook Strain Such a cruise goes to demonstrate that the fuel supply, at any rate is not going to be the outstandingproblem in Tasman Sea flying, but suggests that greater speed than that of the Ao-Te-Aroa is requisite, in view of the actual crossing having taken seventeen hours from shore to shore. The average speed was thus about seventy miles an hour. It would appear that for a night, landing the neighbourhood of Wellington is not by any means an ideal locality. The West Coast of the South Island is probably the most suitable destination for flights from Australia, and lhe Dominion aviation authorities may draw that conclusion from the experience of Monerieff and Hood. There has been manifestly a risk attached Io the cruise in the darkness almost, if not, as great as that existing while the plane was over the ocean. The continuance of the cruise after 2 o’clock this morning might appear rather an anti-climax, but the intrepid pair who made the crossing- should be trusted in their judgment, and while an element of uncertainty remains at the time of writing, there is every reason for lhe confidence which the ivife of the leader of the expedition. Mrs Monerieff, at midnight, voiced in her message over the radio, that the flight, will have a safe and successful termination.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA19280111.2.13

Bibliographic details

Grey River Argus, 11 January 1928, Page 4

Word Count
741

Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, January 11, 1928. THE FLIGHT OVER TASMAN SEA. Grey River Argus, 11 January 1928, Page 4

Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, January 11, 1928. THE FLIGHT OVER TASMAN SEA. Grey River Argus, 11 January 1928, Page 4