PROGRESS OF FLIGHT.

Grey River Argus, 11 January 1928, Page 5

PROGRESS OF FLIGHT.

Radio Reports. “ALL GOING WELL.” ■ I GISBORNE, January 10. A wireless from the Aotcaroa, pickid up by Mr. O'Meara, at 11.-15 a.m., says: “ALL GOING WELL.’’ 500 MILES FROM WELLINGTON A wireless message picked up at 1.30 p.m. te-day, by Mr. S. Baddeley, of Rnnnnga, stated that the aviators were then 500 miles from Wellington, and expected to" reach Trentham at. 5.30 p.m. Everything was then going well. SIGHTED BY MAUNGANUI. SYDNEY, January .10. The favourable weather report, received last night decided the flyers unexpectedly to start, after an announcement earlit r in the day that they would not do so. This decision was not reached until toward midnight. The Maunganui experienced exceptionally fine weather on the voyage from Wellington. She reports that nt 3.16 in the morning, when about fifteccn miles off the coast,. the aviators were dimly discernible at dawn as they passed overhead at a considerable height. The engine sounded as if working perfectly. SIGNALS STOP TEMPORARILY. WELINGTON, January 10. Up till a quarter to nine, signals were received from the aeroplane regularlv at Wellington. A stoppage was then experienced, but communication with Sydney dieted the fact ’hat they were still being heard there. The steppage, here was only temporary, as the signals are again being

I heard. The break must have been i due to atmospherics. WELLINGTON PREPARES. FOR GREAT RECEPTION. WELLINGTON, January 10. The sole topic of conversation locally centres in the ’plane now beating a lonely way across the Tasman. The weather locally is perfect, and everything promises well for a good landing’at Trentham. A great crowd is expected to go out, and an cut’-, isiastic welcome is certain to bo : corded the flyers. Mesdames Me.:- ' If and Hood are in town, awaitmg G.c event, confidently assured of ba and successful issue. Mayor Troup will be at y to welcome the men on <'• ’-al. ;r has asked employe.-? :..:j a.. t ,. | far as possible, ■ '■ *);- employees away an hour ear ;• view to their having an oppon to go to Trentham to take part in sving the Dominion’s appreciation. PRE-ARRANGED SIGNALS. SYDNEY, January 10. The wireless operator Jones of the Maunganui vvlu? has been listening since three this morning for a message from the Ao -Te-Roa heard signals but nothing sufficient definitely to identify the aviators. Neither Moncrieff nor Hood is a qualified operator. It was arranged that they should send a long dash of five minutes, every quarter of an hour. This was possibly the signal Jodps heard. Amalgamated Wireless state that they picked up the fliers’ prearranged signals to 8.30; then they gradually grew fainter, and are now practically (>ut of touch, but they believe that New 4 Zealand has gained touch. The latest signal showed all well.

NO WORD IN MELBOURNE. MELBOURNE, January 10. Wireless signels from the fliers were not heard here, and this has caused disappointment to a number of people who listened-in hoping to pick up word. An Evening of Anxiety. PLANE CROSSES TASMAN BAY. AND TURNS NORTH. There was a groat gathering of the public yesterday evening at the Trentham Racecourse in expectation of a landing by the “ Ao-te-Aroa ’ ’ at any time after 5.30 p.m. As darkness fell, and the plane still failed to appear, a great flare was lighted on the course. There was practically no news of the plane available before 10 p.m. Then came the report that at about ten minutes later the plane had been sighted over Farewell Spit, and not very long afterwards she was' stated to have reached D’Uurville Island, and another report (which proved false) stated a landing had been made there. It was next stated rhat an unconfirmed report from Porirua Harbour had boon received that the plane was there sighted. Meantime it was wirelessed that a couple of planes had gone out from Wellington, and Foxton was next mentioned as a place where the “Ao-te-Aoa” had been seen. The steamer A rah urn wirelessed that she sighted the fliers al 11.10 p.m. off Jackson’s Beacon, which is 29 nautical miles from Wellington. By this time the crowd at Trentham was reported to have diminished to a couple of thousand. About 12.45 a.m. there came a message that the plane was then flying over the Rimutaka Ranges. We are indebted for the above information to the radio sets of Messrs J. Kennedy. J. Saunders and A. Parkinson.

A NEARER PORT. WESTPORT, January 10. Westport is all excitement at the prospect of the Tasman aviators landing here. Tt is pointer out that had they made Westport fheir objective, they could have been here some hours ago. Sighted Off Stephen Island. FLYING FAST AND LOW. (Ext raordin ary.) WELLINGTON, January 10. Aeroplane sighted over Stephen Island near Nelson al 9.50 p.m. LATER. The postmaster at Paekakariki reports (hat Messrs J. Pepperill and A. ,C. Harris, of Paikakariki, report having seen the plane pass Paekakariki out to sea, about 9.50 o’clock, flying fast and low, and on a downward glide. The last sight of the plane was off Pukerua Bay. The engine could not, be heard, and the machine appeared to be on a downward glide. At 9.50 p.m. the plane was seen off Stephen Island near Nelson. Flares are being lighted at Trentham Racecourse.

News of the Cruise. AROUND SOUTH WELLINGTON DISTRICT. TRENTHAM, lO. “Trentham Park is a mass of lights from flares, and car owners are showing head lights to ensure a safe laud-