CAPTAIN RIGHT'S STATEMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 18 January 1928, Page 5

CAPTAIN RIGHT'S STATEMENT

AIRMEN'S, HURRIED DEPARTURE

BUT EVERYTHING TAKEN" INTO

ACCOUNT

(United Pren Association)

'- - ■ - WELLINGTON, 17th Jan. Captain Kight, in his statement regarding the Tasman flight, said ,the compasses were "swung 1 * in Melbourne, 'and were tested on the flight from Melbourne to. Sydney on a day when conditions were very hazy and no points could be picked up; they proved themselves entirely accurate. NoY other navigating instruments were required, as it is impossible to gauge wind drift from nii airplane unless; tfrqm au object which is comparatively No flares '.[■> .were earned, although.a certain amount of cotton waste was carried which, in on extremity, the pilot lit arid thrown otit, but,owißg to the ex- • risk'their use would be highly improbable. Tfie exhaust pipes from ' ihe nine" cylinders came down in two • pipes below; the fuselage, and when the engine was running at night or was suddenly opened /they showed long bursts of flame. The valve of the wireless set was situated on the very top of the set, and gave a considerable amount of .; light. Even;when the set was not work-. • ing we noticed, on the run from Mel•bourhe'y that' the valve was burning.. . '■ This' would undoubtedly, give the appear- < ahce from the outside that the machine mt was lighted;" , '.''. - '> '.■•■ " ' k . ,: Asked from what distance that, light a could.be s'eenV; Captain, Kight replied ■-,' that he was;unaljleto say..; . - "The maximum • cruising . speed, he ff continued, "was,, according to the specifications, 127 miles per hour,, though ■ we found from that 'it was '• greater, hut the speed advised by the - ' makersTvas between 95jOnd 100 m.p.h., or even'up to 110. Lieutenant Mon- .; crieff decided to run: between 1600 m& M 1650 revolutions per minute, which -•' would give him between 100 and 110 ; - > m.p.h. ; ; in still'air jif a head wind was | experienced the rate of the wuid speed would,: of course,' have to ho subtracted from that speed. ■ , : ; "On the day .preceding the departure ■'-. '■' the.weather was such that we did 1 not '-' ! . expect 'that the flight wfluld take place for 48 hour?,' and it was not till..we # had • Teturned from, a harbour'cruise given' ■'. tip by the New South Wales Government at 6 p.m.,% that word was given that : v there! was a possibility 'of leaving.; We • "then received advice that at 9 p.m. '■■ they "Would be able to inform lis den--/■•hitery:if the flight could take place. ;V ; Preparatians were immediately made for ' departure, and when the/nine o'clock re,, ■#• porta-came through the •Government . V Meteorologists gave us a plan of the •l4'' weatherand informed ua that that was :: - a piostsuitable time to leave. 'Although easterlies would be encountered, for a ■'■■■-. of high pressure would |?" •:then ;te: run v would mean ?/ .-. calm air-Httld aI westerly, wind would . s . / . •• "It was t theh necessary to go to Rich-' %§> mond, *hieh is 40 miles 'from Sydney* where the. machine was "housed. . On ■ arrival we found fthat the wireless.,was > quite ready and everything else ready \ by 2.15a.m. The* machine was run and ■' it was then .discovered that there was '/; : . [rather too much: lubricating, oil in the ; janksji > causing a- spray. on : the glass, -. •'. but that was\- soon rectified, and in a ■i ■'•' few • minutes • the pilots were ready to go. - Uufqrtunately.; they i were, ."delayed "by reporters'- insisting' on 'last-minute ; • - : inferafiws, at a. time when every minute was as it was felt that if head i. ''.'"''might be'Tiecessary., r Everything,was Vr .taken into account and Lieutenant Mori, % crieff decided to leave. The machine ? - off; :; successfully and was. heard by_ / the; Maiinganui some, miles out to sea, . passing overhead." ',..--• . . •'.'..* \-.'. '-It was as a result of this set of-cir-unpromising morning, the i harbour trip, the improvement, in •i- v ■'•.■weather prospects,in.the: evening, and ■ the decision to take-off following the 9 -.•;.. o'clock • ieport; from the meteorologist —said Captain Kight, in'reply to a question,- that!' the airmen started on their .flighty having' no sleep for twenty :'•.--■':hours.;. . .•-.'•'-'■> ■ DENIAL OF SYDNEY STATEMENTS Referring to' tHe Sydney allegations i Captain ■ Kight stated:—. ■> , ' ■__ '■ fi The statement in-Ithe,: Sydney ; ■ Morning Herald' 'that the - navigating ~ instruments were not in good..condi- • •" tion—which' could only mean the, comW ; incorrect. Further, no pressure > was brought to bear on the airmen to delay : their ; departure. \ \ They _, were/ absolutely- satisfied with .the ability .of the machine to complete the flight. ■ There was ho question of any argument, . and- the. machine .was perfectly worthy.. We„ never rejected any professional advice, and. there was abso.lute unanimity between ourselves and • the R.A.A.F."; ■ No Tumours as. to the -'■•'' unfitness of the machine had been'cir- '( * culated by 'any party, although certain '-■:. articles appearing in the 'Sydney Morn- , Wm ing Herald' had been against the-flight ' from its inception, • and it had done . everything to cast suspicion .on the '' flight. None of their criticism has -been veracious, and noW/. after 1 the event, they are publishing this. If.?they were aware: of such things they should have brought them to our notice at the time. /■- "The article in thej 'Sydney Morning ■- .Herald','.' continued Captain Kight is the first intimation we have had that - the. airplane was not airworthy, that tests had not been completed, and that navigation arrangements were not suit- '■" able." : -'-' ,-'■': , A ',iW e received every assistance and :: courtesy from the R.A.A.F.; they gave m every help imaginable.. On seeing an :..'■'. article in the 'Herald* on. the day after 1 'the flight had taken place,_ making certain allegations in connection with the ' machine—which' they stated the ' R A A.F. had issued—we immediately got in touch with the commanding ofticer at Richmond, who informed me that no statement had been made by himself or Tiy his officers, and that they were satisfied that the machine was capable of the flight, and was proved in every -way, .although we all had sonic doubts as to the efficiency of the wireless. Ihe navigating: officer had himself ass.sted in the laying of the course before the ' start, and saw that eveiy detail was accu/ate. Once the start, was. made .t . was a matter of bringing the across, ** no sight Other than of the sun could be taken. It was then, a matter . of dead reckoning, for it was impossible ■fi gauge the drift of the wind; for that we had to rely entirely on meteorological data."