ACROSS THE TASMAN SEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17844, 27 July 1921, Page 7

ACROSS THE TASMAN SEA

FROM TASMANIA TO OTAGO;. AUSTRALIAN'S PROJECT. OCEAN FLIGHT OF 857 MILES. [FEOM OtTR OWN* COP.P.ESrONTIENT ] SYDNEY. Jr-!v 19. The keenest interest is being evinced in flying circles here in Lientenant ' F S. BriggV plan to fly from Melbourne to New | Zealand. Lieutenant Bng-s, it apneas, i intends to start from Melbourne. He v.iil I fly direct to Hobari and then, from the , most easterly part of Tasmania ho will set a d-.re-rt course for the south-western j extremity of New 657 miles distant. This U by no means a record for long-distance flying, but it us nevertheless a tremendously ' long way. The longest flight made by Ross Smiih with hu huge plane and 'crew of four was not much more than that. Lieutenant Br.ggs proposes to go ard to make up the weight of a companion with reserves of petrol. So far as can be learned, Lientenant Briggs does not know anythin; about the south-west of New Zealand, and it is thos e who do wh.-> regard him as foolhardy. In ail the wild and lonely Sounds country it would b e hard to find a Sat, cleared space enough to permit the landing and take-off of a aeroplane. The southern part of the Ta&nun Sea, particularly at this season of the year, is a place of stormy skies and erratic winds, and the piano w-11 almost certainly encounter bad weather somewhere on the 857 miles. Why Lieutenant Briggs should pick the middle of winter for such an attempt is hard to guess. The first section of the flight—Meibourn a to Hobart—is easy; and the third section-south-west New Zealand to Invercargill or Dunedin—should present no difficulties; but most people shake their heads over the ocean flight. They say that bad weather, th e absence of Lmd'ing places en rout*, and the probable difficulty of landing anywhere in th« Sounds country all place heavy obstacles in the way of the daring pilot's successi. The routo that most people expected would b 0 taken is from the coast of New South Wales to the north of Auck land. The airline distance is further, of course, but if a somewhat circuitous route is taken, the airman would be able to land, in the event of mishap, on Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island or Sunday Island, in the Kermadeca. He would have the further advantage of a more pacific region, so far as weather is concerned. Lieutenant Brigcs is acting on behalf of a West Australian and New Zealand syndicate, and proposes to use the De Haviland 4 machine recently imported by Mr. C. J. do Garis. Piloted by Briggs, this machine has alreadv flown 20,003 miles in Australia, carrying Mr. d e Garis between various capitals. It has flown from Melbourne to Brisbane ir a day, and from Perth to Svdney in tvo days. The machine is being overhauled t- nd fitted to carry extra petrol. It is estimated that 160 gallons will be required on the flight from Hobart to New Zealand. With a favourable wind, Briggs estimates that h 0 can complete the full flight—Melbourne to New Zealand—in 11 or 12 hours. Then if sufficient petrol is left ho will cross to th« Bluff or thereabouts. Later h e will try a one day flight up from Dunedin to Auckland. A telegram from Melbourne published on Saturday stated that the civil aviation authorities have prohibited Lieutenant Brings' flight from Australia to New Zealand, on the ground that the petrol required would be 3001b. in excess of the weight allotted to a machine for commercial purposes. Lieutenant Briggs hopes to secure a machine that will satisfy the regulations and realise his ambition to be the first to flv to New Zealand