ANOTHER TRANS-TASMAN FLIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1933, Page 6

ANOTHER TRANS-TASMAN FLIGHT

Six years, ago, “Smithy” was practically unknown, even in Australia, blithe. achieved . certain prominence with Captain-C. P. Ulm. in a flight round Australia. He immediately conceived the, putting into operation of a plan he had long had- in mind, namely a trans-ocean flight. Ho made representations to the Government i°" assistance but Ids scheme was not- favoured. Thereupon Smithy, together with Him sailed for America, where he hoped to find someone to “back” him on a flight from America to Australia. Some weeks later the world was .thrilled to bear that the flight,was actually under way, and, in two days, that the Southern Cross had landed salely in Australia. What a different .atmosphere them. Before lie left “Smithy” was regarded as a pilot with ail impracticable scheme, and aid was refused. But now, it was different —, tfye flight had been successful, Australia was “on the map,” and Kingsford Smith way acclaimed a hero.

.PACIFIC FLIGHT DESCRIBED. ACROSS UNCHARTERED SEAS. STRUGGLING WITH THE STORM. It was only after many setbacks had been recorded and innumerable scienti- , fic and financial obstacles had been overcome that the conquest of the j Pacific was accomplished. On May 31, '.1928, Captain Kingsford Smith, Mr 0. p/ Ulm (co-pilot), Captain H. Lyon (navigator) and Mr J. Warner (wireless operator' started on the first stage of the journey, the 2400 miles to Hawaii. With Captain Smith at the controls the giant , monoplane took off at Oak lands, climbed easily in spite of its load of seven tons, and vanished from sight into a sun-pierced haze in the .west.. Just before the machine left Captain Smith said lie had realised an ambition he had held for eight years.

The airmen flew at an average speed of' slightly more than 90 miles an hour, with the trade winds at their backs. Once, when a battery had temporarily, failed, they got their, bearings again from the cruiser Richmond. T!je mptors ran perfectly and all the way tjie .fliers were constantly in communication' with ships and the shore. The flight was perfect and the plane landed at Hawaii at 9.49 a.m. the following day, after a journey of 27 hours 27 minutes. The plane still had 130 gallon* of petrol left, which would have enabled it to remain in the air for another;, three hours. . Early 'tm June 3 the fliers set out I from Hawaii to Suva, a distance of 3180 miles, on the longest ocean flight yet made,- Again .the engines worked •perfectly, but there -was rain, wind, j t'humjer and’, lightning during the 3 night, sucli as Kingsford' Smith said he neyer wished to go through again. . The .flight- was made in 34£ hours; a nu the- finding of the islands of Fiji aftert a. journey , of over 300!) miles was hail- i ed. throughout the world as a remark- \ able, feat of aviation, J

.. The flight over the third stage of the journey from Suva to Brisbane was a dramatic story, of a> struggle against a heavy storm. The Southern Cross rose from flit*, sands-of Naselai on June 7 and,set out on the■ flight of 1750 miles, Alidway between Fiji... and New Caledonia the plane ran into heavy rain. •There was a long interval of silence and. the wireless messages told in laconic phrases of a contest lor two hours with a heavy storm.

Winging its way through the darkness towards the Australian const that Friday evening the Southern Cross was the centre of interest of the civilised world. By 12.30 p.m. half the journey , hud been accomplished. “It’s rough 1 riding,” ‘.commented the transmitter aboardVlhe Southern Cross, and station 4QG Brisbane broadcast direct the eerie whistling of the aerial as it train'.ed through the-air, the clamour of the whirling engines and the uncanny sighing as the giant nionoplane sank hun-dreds-of feet at a time .into the air pockets. Finally Brisbane atlvised that .fhe Southern Cross had been.sighted at Southport, about 40 miles to the south •of. the. city. ‘ ■ . Thousands of excited people greeted the intrepid airmen when they readied Brisbane at 10.14 a.m, The escorting planes, roared and circled and the din made hearing impossible. When the monoplane .landed the people simply went mad. Kingsford Smith was crowned with a wreath of roses.

THE TASMAN SAFELY CROSSED. REMARKABLE FEAT OF AVIATORS WREATHS DROPPED “IN MEMORY.” The natural; sequence to this" memorable pioneer effort was to endoa.voiir to..succeed where -others, had tailed, namely the Tasman crossing from Australia to INew Zealand. The only

' ATTEMPT BY KINCSFORD-SMITH CHIEF KNICHT OF AIR WITH NO MORE WORLDS TO CONQUER METEORIC RISE TO FAME OFJHE INTREPID “SMITHY.” Pioneer of many flights over unjhartered land and seas, the> world oyer as an intrepid air nan, whose occompl.shments Ifeve been recognised by the high authorities, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, known throughout two nations, affectionately, as “Smithy;” Will c n Wednesday attempt his second flight across the Tasman Ocean, from Australia to‘ New Zealand, with New Plymouth as his objective.

previous attempt was fate.ul in that the intrepid airmen Lieutenant Moncrieff and Captain Hood were never seen again alter “hopping off” from, the Commonwealth. Smith’s venture Was successful, and for the first time New Zealand was linked up with the rest of the .world by the air rente. After the ■ flight from California to Australia,, the rumour was freely circulated that the Southern Cross would flv across .the Tasman to New Zealand and then return to Australia, afterwards going- to [England, land then across the Atlantic to America, thereby completing a circuit of the world. Meanwhile the plane flew -round Australia; calling at Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. Two months were spent Ivy the aviators in Melbourne, where the machine was thoroughly overhauled for the Tasman flight. The American navigator (Captain H. Lyon) and the wireless operator (Mr J. Warner) returned home, and by arrangement Kingsford Smith who had been promoted to the rank of- Squadron-Leader, was joined by an Australian navigator (Mr H. A. Litchfield) and a New Zealand wirelessoperator, Air T. H. MeWilliam, now living in Hawera. Air MeWilliam, who was in charge of the Union Steamship

Company’s wireless- school in Now Zealand, was the choice of the New Zealand Government when it was asked by Kingsford Smith to nominate a man, and accepted. [ While making his plans in Australia. Kingsford Smith received a challengo to an aii- race, across the Tasman from Lieut. Hay Parer, who flew from England to Australia in 1920, and Mr Lexius ..Burlington. The race was to he without navigators or wireless officers. | “I do not believe in stunt aviation,” said Kingsford Smith in declining the j challenge. ”1 would not attempt a flight to New Zealand without a navigator and a radio expert.” i All New Zealand was on tip-toe with J excitement on the night of September .TO, .1928, when Kingsford Smith and his companions were winging their way in the Southern Cross on their epochmaking journey from Sydney to Christchurch" across the Tasmah Sea. The plane hopped off from Richmond Aerodrome at 5.30 ii.m. that evening, and

isoon after leaving fc.jyd.ney Tan into bumpy air. The speed was reduced to about 77 miles an hour, but later conditions improved and the plane made good progress at about 90 miles an hour.

Ice formed on the plane in the intense cold, and the men were almost frozen in the cockpit as the plane battled through electrical storms.- The lightning was so close and so severe

that it showed circles of fire covering

the diameter of each cf the propellers, rice formed not only on the wind-shield, but .on the undercarriage, engine-bear-er shafts, .and on the wing itself. AT times the plane was at a height of 7000 ft. and Kingsford Smith was blind 'flying. Towards five o’clock in the morning the fliers saw what appeared to- he two mountain cans covered with snow, and-at 5.20 a.m., gliding down through a. gap in the clouds, they found a pretty harbour below them. Lo r eating -the place as the Northern part of the South Island, the fliers made for Wellington, circled over the capital city while people in pyjamas rushed into the streets, and made a perfect landing on New. Zealand soil at Christchurch at 9.2 t a.m. The total flying time was 14 hours 12 minutes.

Two wreaths were dropped on the journey, in honour of Moncrieff and Hood. The first, on behalf of the crew' of the Southern Cross, was dropped 150 miles from the Australian coastline, and the second, on behalf of New

Zealanders, was dropped 159 miles from the New Zealand coastline. 1 ... In the teeth of a head-wind blowing ai 40 miles an hour, the airmen made the return journey across tin* Tasman a, month later. After one of the severest tests they had undergone, they landed at the Richmond aerodrome on October 14, with only three gallons of petrol left in the fuel tanks, after a journey of practically 23from. Blenheim. The weather was particularly humpy on ,the early part of the trip, and by midday the wind was strong. Towards evening the wind eased off. and shortly after midnight the Australian coast was sighted. Climbing through thick clouds the airmen had an anxious cruise up and down the coast searching for the Sydney landing ground. With petrol running low they were faced with the possibility of a forced landing. Sydney was sighted at last, and the landing made in perfect safety.

LOST IN AUSTRALIAN WILDS. ILL-STARRED FLIGHT TO ENGLAND.. SECOND ATTEMPT SUCCESSFUL. The Southern Cross left Sydney on

March SO, 1929, "for England with-the Same cflew which, had made the flight across the Tasman. In the early hours of next morning came the .news that the plane had made a forced landing in Australia, about 150 miles from Wyndhani. The actual whereabouts of the plane was wrapped in mystery. The ' last Wireless message received in Sydney stated that the petrol was running 1 " Out" and the fliers were coming down,' 1 i

For twelve days the Southern Cross was lost in the north-west coast of Aus trivl ifi. Disjointed wireless messages had told of the exhausted petrol tank, the heavy rain obscuring rugged land and the forced landing. After that came’' but' rumours,'" : 'j' X ' l The" ojifF real h'ews ;ii;om' was Hie - stateiniint from " the 1 Dry'sdale Mission itliaii' thN'lSputheri’i Crnili li-ivcl

passed dyerhead. For the next i'iPdays aeroplanes and land parties searched over a vast area of desolate country for the missing airmen. Two of the rescue fliers, Keith Anderson and H. S. Hitchcock, in the plane Kookaburra, were lost in the search. The crew of the Sbiitherii Gross were eventually found hv the air liner Canberra an- a

nnidbauk 40 miles from Port George. They had suffered greatly from privation, as they carried food for only three days. Several days later news was received of the discovery of the Kookaburra. with Anderson lying dead underneath the plane. There was no sign of bis companion HitehcocK. The Southern Cross set out- again from Australia to England about three months later. The plane left Richmond on June and arrived at Croydon, bettering Hinkler’s record frqin Croydon to of 15J days.-. The Southern Cross had flown the journey of 11,700 miles in 13 days.

EAST TO WEST OVER ATLANTIC. SMITH’S CROWNING ADVENTURE. HARDEST FLIGHT OF HIS LIFE. | ; f Tlia crowning adventure in the life of Kingsford Smith was the crossing of the Atlantic in the Southern Cross from east to west. Kingsford Smith himself called it the hardest flight of his life. The crossing from east to west had previously been made by only one crew', when Captain Kolil, Baron von Huncfeld and Commandant Fitzmnuricc crossed from Ireland to Labrador in April, 1928.

I The flight was begun with easy confidence. The Southern Cross left the South of Ireland at 4.30 a.m. on Juno 23, 1930. .Dense fog -,..was encountered for hours before Newfoundland was reached, and the Southern Cross wandered for a long time, among the clouds seeking its bearings.;.;.For• a• time radio 'communication was lost,, and when at 'last a bioken message came through the ether the tone of nonchalance Jfod ' given place to one of concern. The intention to seek landing „in Newfoundland was transput ted, but in the I dense fog the landing ground could not he found, and urgent appeals were sent out for a plan6:AT6'guid’e' the lost fliers. At 5.22 a.m. on June 24 the Harbour Grace fi9j^;w'i’ i s Aipund and the Southern Cross landed, :

ENGLAND TO AUSTRALIA. ATTEMPT TO LOWER THE RECORD SMITHY’S HEALTH IMPAIRED. The next notable flight of WingCommander Kingsford Smith, the hero ' of world flights, was the solo dash from England to Australia, in October, 1930. IHe made it in 10 days 2 hours • 10 minutes, lowering Hinkler’s record by 5 days. It was after this flight that the newspapers urged that the flier should he knighted. | The last great flight of Commodore ' Kingsford Smith, was, in its own way, as adventurous as his others. From Australia, on September 24, 1931, he set out to break the record flight of Mollison. For the first time his wiry physique ;showed signs of giving way under tii<j strain. Sunstroke affected him as he flew over India,-and only his will power enabled him to fly on. When lie was still a day ahead of Mollison ’s record nervous weakness came (on him again, and ho had to land at Milas. There the Turkish authorities prevented liiin from going on, and left I him a. disappointed and sick man. Sheer ill-luck had lien ten him for the first, time. Speaking of the flight his rival, Mr J. A. Mollison, said: “Smithy, lucky or unlucky, is definitely the, world’s best pilot, not excluding Lindliei’gh.”

UNSOLVED RIDDLE OF TASMAN. AIRMEN’S FATE STILL A MYSTERY FATAL TRIP “TOWARD THE DAWN.” “ i 11— Only once bjefihfo t-hiil flight! iif Kingsfort! Smith aikb daring companions had man ' tritkl'kjfo cross- theMfashiau by air. The adventure was made by tlie New Zealandei's, Lieutenant J. It. Moncrieff and Captain G. Hood. On January 10, 1928,"they left Richmond for New Zealand, were sighted by the steamer Maungainti bound for Sydney, and were never seen again. The restless Tasman, sill holds the secret of their fate.

Their plans were kept a guarded secret almost to the last. Presumably they did not wish to bo forestalled. It was given out that the attempt would he made at the last week-end of the old year. Then there was a hitch in gaining consent to their departure from Australia. The flight, as actually conducted, was a breach of the air navigation regulations. Formal permission: to leave Australia was granted tllfe distinct understanding thafljfthe aviators did so on

' their own responsibility, aml did not involve the Federal (loveiunicnt in any way. No deiinite time was fixed for the departure, and on the morning of January 10 Sydney people were surprised to learn front banner-headed -newspapers that the aviators had , “flown toward the dawn.’’ The. departure was made at 2.44 a.m. (•5.14 a.m. New Zealand time). At dawn the aviators passed over the steamer Maunganui, bound tor Sydney. The plane could only be seen dimly, but the engine seemed to be working soundly. It was reported from time to time that the fliers’ pre-arranged signals were being picked up. The signals gradually grew fainter and at 11.20 a.m. the Aotearoa, as the machine was called, was practically out of touch. Later signals were said to have been heard at 5.15. Trentham racecourse, near Wellington, was to be the landing ground. Excitement was stirred by the report that the monoplane had been sighted over Stephen Island in Cook Strait at 9.50 p.m. Other confirmatory reports followed from Paekakariki. Hopes ran high, the news was flashed to Australia, and Sydney evening papers placarded “Triumph” were rushed to the streets.

It was all a cruel rumour. The airmen had not landed, and the report ot their appearance over Cook Strait was founded on a misconception. The country inland was combed in the fiope that the men had made a forced landing in some remote place or on a lonely beach. The sea. was searched for a trace of the plane, blit no cine \w?s found. The full mystery has never been solved.

FLIGHT TO LORD HOWE ISLAND. TWO-THIRDS OF JOURNEY MADE. One other flight from New Zealand to Australia was attempted in 1931. Sensation was created in New Zealand on March 39 when it was known that a New Zealander, Mr F. C. Chichester, had set out secretly in a Moth plane on a flight to Sydney via Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. The Moth had been .specially' fitted with floats, and wireless apparatus had been installed so that progress could be reported. Previously Mr Chichester had set out on a flight from England to Australia on December 20, 1929, bad been forced down at Tripoli, and had I continued later on his way. I Mr Chichester left Parengareuga at 11.30 a.m. for Norfolk island, which is 500 miles from New Zealand. He reached Norfolk Island at 5 o’clock, and his achievement in flying direct to an island only 12 miles square was considered a triumph in aerial navigation, j At Norfolk Island he was delayed for two days by rough, weather and bv damage to his machine. To enable the machine to take off from Norfolk Inland he discarded the collapsible boat, liis heaviest tools and articles of clothing, and hopped off on the “second stage of his journey to Lord Howe Island shortly after 10 o’clock in the morning. He- expected to arrive at Lord Howe Island at 5.30 p.m., and landed there at 4.37 p.m. He had flown 530 miles and success.ully found the small island five miles square. There was still the last stage of the journey, the 400 miles from Lord Howe Island to Sydney, to be crossed when the luck went against the airman. While his seaplane was at anchorage at the island a sudden 'squall struck it, caused considerable damage, and prevented the flight from being continued. *

;THE TASMAN CROSSED ALONE

SECRET FLIGHT OF GUY MENZIES FORCED LANDING AT HARIHARI*. The first solo flight across the Tas- X man was the dramatic and unheralded flight of Guy Menzies, a Sydney Aero Club member, whose machine, the Southern Cross Junior, crashed in a swamp at Harihari. The airman was uninjured. The Southern Cross Junior, the machine in which Commodore Kingston:! Smith made his record flight from England to Australia, was purchased by Mr Menzies on Christinas Eve, 1930. Early on the morning of January 7 it was wheeled on to the Mascot aerodroiiie, Sydney, and loaded with petrol for ,18 hours’ flying. Mr Menzies told ais friends he intended to fly to Perth, handed a letter to his father, and was gone. His friends were astounded to find in the letter the statement of the airman’s intention to fly to New Zealand’.

Running out of,, the head winds the airman struck comparative caliii for several hours. Then came tail winds and rough weather till he reached the coast. The plane went through some bad humps.. One minute the flier was down to within five feet of the .stormy sea, the next minute, lie was climbing at high as 11,000 feet. At times he was desperately lonely .and longed for the sight of a steamer. There were periods of drowsiness which he had to fight against. The biggest battle was against the subconscious mental condition telling him that he was being carried off his course. “All the time,” said Menzies, “there was something urging me to turn north after I had covered 500 miles. 1 knew that would have been fatal, and it was

the deuce fighting off those spasms. Many fellows have come to grief' through following their promptings instead of their instruments.” Exactly 11 hours after he took off he reached the New Zealand coast near Okarito. Fog was gathering and there were thick banks of cloud on the mountains. He was afraid of the mountains, and was determined to come down. He crashed in the swamp and was unharmed. Even the plane was only slightly damaged.