ROUND PACIFIC FLIGHT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 17 January 1925, Page 7

ROUND PACIFIC FLIGHT

ASSUMING DEFINITE SHAPE

The next big aerial event- of worldwide interest promises to be round-the-Pacific flight, taking in the east coast of Australia, and New Zealand. The project is assuming definite shape in America.

Plans have been drawn up for the flight, and routes are being selected, according to the Honolulu Star Bulletin. Correspondence with Washington and every Pacific capital is under way. The American army and navy are chiefly interested in the flight from San Francisco to Honolulu, and thence by several intervening islands l-o Australia, but “the Pan-Pacific workers hope 10 persuade the Australians to tak ; up uul continue t-lie flight, from Sydney to IVkio, and the Japanese from their capital to Vancouver, asking Canada to send relay flyers from Vancouver to San Francisco, or, better still, to Los Angeles and San Diego.” At a recent- luncheon of the PanPacific Club it was discovered that an energetic young aviator in the army air service, Lieutenant A. F. HegenbeVger, was responsible for the first suggestion of the round-the-Pacific flight, and had made application to be in charge of one of the machines.

For more than a year the young lieutenant has quietly whispered iiis suggestions to the Pan-Pacific Chib and the Hawaiian branch of the National Aor - nautic Association. When the dele gates were being selected in AuCviha to send to the first Pan-Pacific Food Conservation Conference last July and August, one of the delegates, David Stead, wrote to the Pan-Pacific Union asking that it arrange a flight for him over the Hawaiian Islands, that be might study the reefs and shallows where fish abound. This was done, and the young lieutenant- enlisted the Australian in i.he movement for a round-th-e Pacific flight-. Stead becarpe an enthusiast; he spoke before the Honolulu branch- of the National Aeronautic Association describing his flight over Kileaua, volcano, and at a luncheon meeting of the Pan-Pacific Club high officials of the army and navy were present to outline the possibilities of a round-the-Pacific air voyage. Maps were drawn, and later altered, and this process is still going on as new information from far-off tentative landing spats arrives. Stead promised the hearty tooperation of his Government, '-1 ad returned to- Australia to successfully inspire the Press and people with the share 9 they should take in nrp«rti>-l nig <» round-the-Pacific air ..flight.” •