THE AUSTRALIAN FLIGHT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1708, 24 December 1919, Page 5

THE AUSTRALIAN FLIGHT.

ROSS' SMITH AT CHARLEVILLE. } By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Australian-New Zealand Cable, Association SYDNEY/ Dec. 23. Captain Ross-9mith has arrived at Charlevillo. Sir Joseph Cook is endeavouring to arrange- for a • peal of church bolls, and a salute of guns from tho warships to welcome Captain Ross-Smith on his arrival at Sydney. AVIATORS HONOURED. Australian-New Zealand Cable-Association LONDON, Dec. 22. Tho Knighthood of the British Empire has been conferred on Captain; Ross-Smith unj Lieutenant Smith, and bars to the Airforce Medals on Sergeants TBonnott and Shiers. VICKERS’ GENEROSITY. , : LONDON. Dec. 15. Vickers, Ltd.,, state that they do not intend to touch a penny'of the prize money riven by the Australia# Government, which belongs to Ross Smith and his crew. ' Vickers’s instructions to Ross Smith ceased with his arrival at Darwin, and ho is now free to fly the machine wherever ho likes in Australia, provided that he finally presents it to the Australian Government. Tho Vickers and Rolls-Royce Companies handed over to the National Museum at Kensington. to-day tho machine in which Captain Sir John Alcock flow across tho Atlantic, making a gift of it to tho nation., Sir Douglas Vickers, chairman of Vickers, Ltd., said that tho Atlantic flight was a great ’achievement, arid there wijjs groat interest in it, but tho'Australian flight was r.n even greater feat.

KANGAROO’S TROUBLES. LONDON, Doo. 6. Writing from Rome, Lieutenant Potts (one of the crew of Captain Wilkins's Blockburn-Kaugaroo ’plane) describes tho adventures of the party. They did not see tho ground for two hours flying to Romilly, whore they were held up three days because .of the clouds, which were .almost on the ground. They refused to take petrol at Lyons, but flew to Istres, where they got supplies. Trying to cross the Alps next day they flew for 90 minutes in tho rain, and fvere compelled to return to Istres, whore they landed in a blinding snowstorm. The fabric was torn off the propellers, but this was patched, and they reached St. Raphael. They left an English guard on the machine overnight, and started for Rome next day. After 40 minutes’ flying, however, they were forced to land on tho coast, and found that the magneto had been deliberately short circuited by tamperors. This wos patched, and they reached Pisa at dusk. The main aerodrome was waterlogged. and the aviators landed at a vacant ’drome and walked six miles to tho city. Hero they found the R.A.F. official absent in Florence. They made a delayed start in another head wind, and landed at Romo in the dark.

The ground speed of the machine averaged only 50 miles owing to the weather, fA later cable stated that the Kangaroo was at Suda Bay, Crete, with a damaged engine.’]

SCHEME OF DISTRIBUTION. SQUADRONS THROUGH EMPIRE. LONDON, Doc. 13, Major-General Sir H. M. Tronchard (Chief of tho; Air Staff) has outlined a scheme for tho permanent organisation of the Air Force, which is 'described by Mr Winston Churchill (Secretary for Air) as approved by the Cabinet. The scheme is based on an annual expenditure of £15,000,000 in future: tho service will consist chiefly of an independent force, but with a small part, trained for tho navy, and the other for tho army. The foundations will bo laid for tho creation of a highly-trained force, but Service squadrons will bo reduced to tho minimum considered essential for overseas garrisons, with a very small reserve for tho United Kingdom. Some groat war squadrons will, howoycr, bo proqgryed. It- is proposed to provide eight ’ squadrons for India, and three for Mesopotamia. It is hoped that aerial units for tho future can bo used partly to take tho place of military garrisons. < Egypt, which is described as tho Clapham Junction of the air between'the East and West, will have seven service squadrons.

UNITS FOR ARMY AND NAVY. Naval bases and important coaling stations overseas will need aircraft as part of their garrisons, therefore a seaplane unit' will be established at Malta, and another probably at Alexandria. _ _ .For co-operating with the army, it is proposed to establish one flight division for work at all stages of training, and also one or more squadrons for cooperation with the artillery, while the Homo Fleet have three aeroplane and two seaplane squadrons. . Airships are considered to be still in the experimental stage, and therefore, only one station is being retained, with one rigid and two non-rigid craft. _ It. is intended to have a Territorial Air Force, because the scheme will concentrate upon the training of personnel, , , . Major-General Trenchard hopes that manufacturing firms will assist by forming territorial units, and is of opinion that doubtless many individuals- will bo; glad to train voluntarily with State nssistahco, undertaking to servo at homo or .overseas, as required. '