MISSING ’PLANE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 5 September 1927, Page 5

MISSING ’PLANE

MESSAGE FROM STEAMER

LIGHTS IN MID-ATLANTIC.

WAS IT THE ST. RAPHAEL?

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received 4, 11.30 a.m.) Rugby, Sept. 3. The Air Ministry last night received a report from the steamer Josiah Macey that the lights of an, aeroplane had been seen in mid-Atlantic at 9.44 p.m on Wednesday and it was presumed this was the missing monoplane St. Raphael, whose fuel supplies would be exhausted by midnight on Thursday or shortly afterwards. On this assumption it was half-way across the Atlantic 15 hours after departure. No news of its arrival anywhere has been received and it is considered that the only remaining hope is that it may have been picked up by some vessel not equipped with wireless.

The theory maintained is that intricate wind drifts over the Atlantic drove the St. Raphael off its course and that the weather prevented the taking of observations to rectify it. So far the North Atlantic has never been flown by an aeroplane in a westward direction, though it was crossed in 1919 b ythe British airship R 34, the only airship yet to make the double flight. Since then the German airship ZR3 has been flown on a more southerly course to America for e'elivery to the United States.

CONFESSED TO TAMPERING WITH INSTRUMENT.

(Received 5, 11.35 a.m.) Paris, Sept. 4. Callizo was formally charged with an attempt to hoax the Aero Club. He broke down when he confessed he had tampered with the barograph and only reached a fraction of the height claimed.

The discovery was due to placing a secret second barograph unobserved by Callizo. The authorities’ suspicions were aroused when he landed at Le Bourget only three hours after leaving Le Buc Aerodrome.—(A. and N.Z.)

CALLIZO’S CLAIM.

AERO CLUB NOT SATISFIED

(Received 5, 9.50 am) Paris, September 4. A sensation was caused in aviation circles by an announcement bv the Aero Club o f France that the claim for the light aeroplane altitude tecord made by Callizo had not been substantiated. It is understood that the official barograph placed in the tail of the machine registered little more than 12,000 feet.

The Aero Club has requested Cal lizo to appear before them on Monday.—(A and N.Z.)

Callizo claimed to have reached the height of 42,900 feet.

LONG OVERSEAS FLIGHTS

LAND MACHINES NOT SUITABLE.

(Received 8, 1.5 p.m.) London, Sept. 4. The “Gazette” says that Captain Courtnay’s flight vindicates Courtnay’s contention that long overseas flights must be made in flying boats and not in land machines, because they can shelter in the nearest harbour instead of returning almost to. the starting point. They also must have wireless and complete navigation equipment.—(A. and N.Z.)

[Earlier aviation cables will be found on page 6.]