PACIFIC FLIGHT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 8 June 1928, Page 5

PACIFIC FLIGHT

SELECTION OF THE CREW.

LIEUT. ULM’S STORY.

the NfG'HT of storm. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—3 Y ELECT)!! TELEGRAPH-COPY RIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN PRESS ASSOCIATION.) SUVA, Janie 6. At the civic reception tendered to the airmen of the Southern Cross at the Town Hall, Captain Smith was absent inspecting the Naselni sands. 16 miles distant by water. The other avitaors. were welcomed by the Governor (Sir Eyre Hutson) and the Mayor (Air. Henry Marks). Lieut. ITlm replied. He used Captain Smith’s stock opening remark: “The difference between an aviator and a parrot is that a parrot can talk, but not fly, and an aviator can fly and not talk.” He expressed thanks for the wonderful reception. It was the first since they started from Oakland, and they were not used to it yet. They had been criticised at all points, and bad either “gone out” or been drowned. “We had the finest equipment that ever started out over the water,” continued Lieut. Ulm. “We have had a partial success, hut we have not finished yet. The original plan was for an Australian and New Zealand crew. Captain Smith and me were to have been the Australians, and the others wore to have been New Zealanders, but we could not keep them while are were waiting to make the final arrangements. They went back, and finally we were a'n a bad way. COMPLETING THE CREW. "Then I went to Captain MacMillan, head of the hydrographic department at San Francisco, and told him we wanted a navigator to find the way. He said he had two or three for us to j look over. He looked over them, and said they were not good enough in his opinion. Then he telephoned saying he had a wild man down there, just the man for us. He told us to come down, as he wanted' to tell us a. few things about him. “We went down and met Captain Henry Lyon, my good friend.” Lieut. Ulm then mentioned that- Captain MacMillan considered Captain Lyon was America's highest naithority on navigation, and his recommendation would he accepted anywhere. Captain MacMillan introduced Captain Lyon, saying: “This is Harry. He has lots of faults, two or three teeth missing, but he is a good navigator. We met Harry and summed him up. He has a humorous sense and lives on his job. He eould take us far.” Lieut. ITlm made the point that the recent flight was the longest non-stop flight over the water ever made. If they ever made another long non-stop flight, and please God they would, they would look for Captain Lyon to lead the wa v.

Having secured a navigator, they then wanted a wireless operator, a man who would “push the key” while the engines were roaring and not one used to sitting at home. Ten or twelve were examined. They had three or four under examination when a telephone call came from Captain Lyon. He said he had a shipmate named Warren with him. They told him it would be best to bring him along. They never believed Harry in anything he said.

“We met Jim Waren at dinner four nights before we left on the flight, and we questioned him. and engaged him,” said. Lieut. IJlm. “Jim had long and meritorious service in the United States Navy and with the Allies in the war. We were satisfied that the old sen dog <-ould find the way and that Warren could tell the world, if wo came down, whore to find us. “We made a radio test- next day. This was the first time Warren had been on a flight. We had a test flight •of about five hours to T.os Angeles and back. . That 10 hours or so of experience in the air was all Warren had had before the main flight. We would have been ‘very eold meat’ hut for Jim. “Imagine our 660 horse-power motors in the small cabin of the ’plane. He was deafened by the roar of motors while he was trying to send and reeeive radio messages 100- per cent efficient over 4000 to 5000 'miles. Jim Warren possesses no mean skill, and is full of courage.

DODGING THE STORM CLOUDS. “Getting back to the old sea dog again, the night before last in - midPacifie, the fates were not with ns. We struck bad weather on the job. Intricate directions were taken from the- hands of the navigator, hut it was wild flying, and we were getting to the stage when we might just go mad. “Smith was more skilled in dodging storm clomls and turning at right angles when he was flying at 100 miles an hour. Hie navigator’s skill, resource and initiative were shown when, after all these quick movements throughout the night, he could plot our position when we came out of the mess and say: ‘Hero, boy. here is where you are. ’

“That we came through was not luck. Get the right men and equipment and co-ordinate them, and you will get through with the co-operation of the public.” Lieut. Ulm .said he appreciated their enthusiasm, and hoped their hop would lend to a regular air servi'e between America and Australia and hind those two nations more closely together. (Prolonged cheers.) Captain Lyon said: “I have never made a speech in my life. I had to navigate. If I lied not- found Suva where would I have been? I have had such a good time in this world that I want to carry on.” Mr. Warren expressed his gratitude for Suva’s welcome. A recent ion was giren iri the afternoon at the residence of Lieutenant Ellis

FINANCES OF THE FLIGHT. PROFITS TO THE AVIATORS. ASSISTANCE OF LOS ANG ELES CAPITALIST. Received 10.40 a.m. to-day. NEW YORK, June 7. A message from Los Angeles states that onlythe four members of ihp crew of the Southern Cross w.i.l-1 share in any profit resulting from the flight. It was .said on behalf of Mr All!an Hancock, their hacker, to-day by Mr Raymond Stephens, Air Hancock’s attorney, who explained that his c-lient desires no personal gain from the flight. He said the Los Angeles capitalist gave assistance only to further the development of aerial navigation, and in admiration of the perseverance of Captain Smith and Lieait. Ulm. Air Hancock sailed for Alexico the day the Southern Cross took off from Oakland. Hie was not aware then that his connecting with tho flight was to become publi'.c, hut he gave permission to-

day that his association should be ox-pla-i ned. The statement made by Air Stephens revealed that deprived of the backing which they expected when they left Australia, Captain Smith and'Lieutenant Ulm found themselves stranded with the ’plane mortgaged to stay ivithin the boundaries of California, also with insufficient equipment and numerous debts. Captain Smith and Lieut.. Ulm met Mr Hancock through Air Andrew Ghaffey, a Los Angeles bank president. Air Hancock immediately became interested .in the fliers and took a short flight with them; and then advanced the necessary funds for the project.

SMITH’S AMBITION. FLIGHT AROUND THE WORLD. Received 10.55 a.m. to-day. SAN FRANCISCO, June 7. Art Girard M-c Graven, chief mechankiinn for the “Southern Cross.” while at the Oakland air 'port, said that Captain Smith had discussed with him his ambition to fly around /the world, provided the Australian venture proved successful, continuing the flight from Brisbane. DEPARTURE PROM FIJI DELAYED NOW FIXED FOR THIS AFTERNOON. SUVA, June 7. Owing to delay in. filling the fuel tanks at Naselai beach, Captain Ivingsford Smith’s ’plane has been hauled up above high water mark and made safe for the night.

Captain Kingsford Smith anticipates taking off about 2 p.m. on Friday (Suva time). The ’plane is now loaded and ready to leave. The transport of fuel and oil is a slow process on account of the very bad surf.

SYDNEY, June 7. Cabinet has decided to honour the undertaking given by the Lang Cabinet granting Captain Kingsford Smith £4500 at the conclusion of his- flight. The sum of £2500 will ho made available immediatolv.

P. ROA DC A Sl’ ARRA NO EMENTS

I TBI.ROW A PTT-PHF.RR A SHOOT ATI ON. I WELLINGTON, June 7.

Shortly after 10 o’clock to-night (New Zealand time) the broadcast station 2RL Sydnev announced that- tho “Sydney Sun” had iust received a cable from Suva stating that Captain Kingsford Smith will resume his flight at 2 p.m. sharp to-morrow. At twenty 'minutes to eleven tonight (New Zealand time) broadcast station 2EC Sydney announced that the arrival of the Southern Cross at Brisbane on Saturday morning will be described by broadcast station 4QG Brisbane. A land line will connect the Brisbane station with 2FC Sydney, and the latter station, in conjunction with Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., will rebroadcast 400 on a wave length of 28.5 metres. The announcer at 2FC called the broadcast stations at- Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart, expressing the hope that they will be able to relay the short-wave transmission.