Kingsford Smith’s Return Flight

Inangahua Times, 29 March 1934, Page 3

Kingsford Smith’s Return Flight

l, <P»r United Freu Asui.ji Smithy Takes off Perfectly

Whangarei, This day The Southern Cross took off from the Ninety Mile beach at 3.45 this morning on its return flight to Australia, having aboard Sir Kingsford Smith, at the controls ; Captain Taylor, Navigator ; Messrs Pethybridge, co-pilot ; Stannage, Wireless Operator ; Peroival, Journalist, and carrying a mail comprising over twenty thousand letters. The weather was ideally calm at the time with bright moonlight. The runway course was marked out by flares. Approximately one thousand spectators cheered the departure, which was perfectly smooth Although the latest report pre- • dieted bad patches in the route, ! Smith hoped to land in daylight at I Mascot aerodrome. He will not stop 1 the monoplane while he shapes his » course to circle over the Wanga nella, on which Lady Kingsford Smith is a passenger. The course will then be set to pass over Lord Howe Island. The fuel taken aboard for the trip consisted of 650 gallons of petrol and 30 gallons of oil. It is understood that upon arrival Sir Charles will commence an organisation for his pait'cipation in the Melbourne Centenary Air Race. Messages from the Plane

Wellington, This day The following are among the messages received from the Southern Cross : Plane left Ninety Mile Beach at 3.50 a.m. New Zealand time. All the times mentioned hereafter will be the time at the ship. There was a perfect beach and moon for departure, with light north to south-west winds and the weather report was for fine weather all the way. With a huge mail and full tanks, the total weight was 5$ tons. At 4 am, during the loading of the mail, somebody disconnected the radio batteries. Staonage took off , his coat to effect repairs, but smilingly discovered the cause of the hold-up. What a relief. We I thought the set had gone bung. At 5 a.m., ran into a small patch of dirt, nothing serious but it is pitch black outside. 5 15 p.m., Smithy is flying absolutely blind. j 5 30 a.m., making good headway at 1,000 feet with 450 feet aerial trailing. 545 a.m., the co-pilot reports oroising at 90 miles per hour. 6 a.m, dawn, heavy cloud banks . ’ The seas appear moderate in the half light. j 6 40 a.m., ground speed 100 miles par hoar. Smithy had a sick spell Ha ate something at the beach which disagreed. 7 a.m., Smithy resting with the mail for a pillow. Thongh the sea is fairly calm the action of the sea against the wind causes a ' great number of “ white horses,'* which give deceiving drift observations.

South Converses with Wife

At 9 a.m Sir C. Singsford Smith J spoke to his wife aboard the Wanganella by wireless telephony. Lady Kingsford Smith’s conversation was transmitted in Morse back to the Southern Cress by Vincent, the wireless operator of the Wanganella. Arrrngements were made for Lady Eingsford Smith to be on the bridge with a flag as ths Wanganella drew closer. Her message from Vincent thnndered in, bnt visibility clouded in, and although only a few miles away ths ship could not be seen. Smith did not wish to waste petrol by circling. The course is now altered for Lord Howe Island.

9.30 a.m —The time at the ship referred to before must not be confused with Captain Taylor’s chronometer reckonings. This time is simple New Zealand standard time, kept by Stannage and myself. We j set onr watches before we left. I Smithy has just come down, and flew over the sea at six feet, while the navigator took the first sextant sight. Taylor is now busy plotting the coarse and Stanuage is tapping this through with a toheroa, a fritter in his other hand. Flying Just Above Wave Tops 10 a.m., Pethybridge is relieving Smithy at (he controls. Entering a bad visibility area. Jast bad some oranges. The three motors are runoing perfectly. At 10.30 Smithy again took over the controls to fly just above the wave tops, so that Captain Taylor could get a true horizon. The sextant was shot three feet off water. It is possible to appreciate the speed of the plane which is cruising at one hundred m lss per hour. Lord Howe Island in Sight 11 a.m. —I* >s estimated that the machine has flown 700 miles since taking off. Her position now, is latitude 32.50 south, longitude 161.7 east. 11.30 a.m. —I am right on the coarse. Lord Howe Island is in sigb». . . Bill Taylor is receiving congratulations from Smithy on his excelled navigation j-^K