PACIFIC FLIGHT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 19 October 1926, Page 9

PACIFIC FLIGHT.

ENGINE TO' BE OVERHAULED AT RABAT L, BY CABLE—PBESS ASSOCIATION-COPYRIG HT. Received 11.10 a.m.. tc>-d:ay. SYDNEY, Oct. 19. Captain WiMiaanis has arrived at Riabaul, where the engine will be overhauled and the plane doeked. [Group-Captain Williams wx»«i cl very young otficer in the war, but rose to be a lieutenant-colonel. He was one of the first Australians to do aviation work. He had command of the First Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps, which, did good work in .Palestine in 1917 and 1918. It was in this corps that the late Sir Ross Smith made good as an airman. Group-Captain Williams’ later service was in command of the Fortieth Wing of the Royal Air Force, and after the Armistice he was left in command of the whole Palestine brigade of the Royal Air Force. Later on 'he got some valuable experience' as Australian Staff Officer for Aviation in London. He also spent a year studying the latest methods at Camberley, the exclusive British Staff College. The stages of the flight are as follows: — Melbourne to Sydney (via coast). Sydney to Brisbane. Gladstone (Queensland). Bowen (Quensland). Cooktown (Queensland). Thursday Island (Queensland). Daru Island (Torres Strait). Port Moresby (Papua). Samarai (Papua). Morobe (Papua). Madang (Papua). Lindenhafen (New Guinea). Rabaul (New Guinea).. Kieta (Solomon Islands). Gizo (So'omon Islands). Tulagi (Solomon Islands). Santa Anna (Solomon Islands). Bani Koro (Santa Cruz Islands). Vila (New Hebrides). _ Aneityum (New Hebrides). Noumea (New Caledonia). Lautoka <Eiji). Suva (Fiji). Levuka (Fiji). Nukualofa (Tonga). Vavau (Tonga). Apia (Samoa). Return will be l made along the same route, ae • a round trip is not practicable. Although Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island, possessions of the Commonwealth, appear to offer stages between New Caledonia and Sydney, they are useless for this journey, because they lack wireless stations. In flying across open ocean, the aviator is apt to be blown out of his course, unless he has the aid of directions,, wireless. The route, as mapped out by Group-Captain Williams is studded with wireless stations, and he will scarcely ever be out of the range of one of them.}