GREAT FLIGHT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2091, 17 February 1920, Page 3

GREAT FLIGHT.

ROSS SMITH AT SYDNEY. A SPECTACULAR ARRIVAL. Sydney, Eebruary 11. Sir Ross Smith and his companions completed their flight from England this morning. They arrived at the Heads at 10.30 o’clock, and (lew up the harbour. The Vimy machine arrived at Katoomba trom Narramine a few minutes after 10 o’clock, and finished the flight to Sydney in fifteen minutes. The went tier was ideal,, and the townships along, the route of the last stage of (he great (light emptied themselves to watch the passing of the famous Vimy, which was greeted with (lie-ringing of hells and screaming of engine whistles as the hirdmen eireled or did stunts over them. Every vantage ground round Sydney and suburbs was occupied hv expectant crowds long before the signal at the Post Office tower, announcing the departure from Katoomha, was hoisted. There was much excitement when the machine first came in sight. After circling over the prepared landing place a! Mascot, the machine proceeded to the Heads, and alade its official entry, thence up the harbour, and vouhd'the city to Mascot, where an enormous gathering witnessed a . perfect landing, I hough men who were wailing to catch the the wing tips and a crowd of protographers had a narrow escape. Miscalculating the speed of such a machine, they rushed in too quickly, hut, fortunately, were able to save themselves. Amongst the first to greet the aviators were the parents of Sir Ross Smith and his brother, Sir Keith. On the way through the. streets, and in the Town Ha.il, where 'an official reception was given to the brothers Smith and their- companions, Sergeants Bennett and Shjers, the aviators were almost overwhelmed by ■ enthusiastic demonstrators. , Replying to congratulatory speeches on the {gallantry of t lit* feat ami the honour and glory which (he four gallant aviators who had flown from one end of the world to the other had brought to Australia, Sir Ross Smith said that they had only accomplished what any other Australian -witli the requisite know# ledge of aviation and the opportunities would accomplish. “And, therefore,” he said, “at times ,we want to know what all this enthusiasm is ahonl. After the war wc wanted to get homo, and thought we might as well fly home. So we flew home.” Sir Keith Smith said: “It seemed to us that the Commonwealth had bet ns £IO,OOO that we could not get there. We reckoned it easy money, so we said wo will have a go. Wc had a go, and got there, and now cannot understand what all the fuss is about.” The mechanics attributed much of the success of the light to the excellence of the machine, and the way the crow pulled together.