LONG DISTANCE FLIGHT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19676, 30 June 1927, Page 9

LONG DISTANCE FLIGHT

MEBICA TO HAWAII.

ARMY AIRMEN SET FORTH. FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS. GOOD PROGRESS MADE. FAILURE OF COMPETITORS. Uy Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received .Tune 29, 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. RAX FRANCISCO. June 2S. Two United States army airmen, Lieutenants Lester Maitland, pilot-, and Albert Hegenberger, navigator, left Oakland, California, at 9i minutes past 7 this morning on an attempt to make a non-stop flight to Honolulu, Hawaii. The airmen are flying in a threemotored Fokker army monoplane. They passed over the Golden Gite at the entrance to San Francisco harbour at 7.20 n.m. and swung out over the Pacific. . Lieutenant Maitland expected to reach Hawaii in 27 hours. The plane was loaded to the extent of 13.5001b. The airmen were escorted 10 miles out to sea'by 10 army planes. Mr. Ernest L. Smith, a civilian aviator, who had planned to race the army machine to Hawaii in a single-motored plane with Captain Charles Carter as his navigator, watched Lieutenants Maitland and Hegenbergor suddenly don their helmets, jump into their plane and roar away. Mr. Smith said: "I can give them two hours' start and beat them." The spectators thought tho army airmen were merely posing for the photographers until Lieutenant Maitland shouted: " Good-bye, boys. Wo are off." Plane Sighted 750 Miles Out.

The atmospheric conditions wore ideal over the Pacific and the plane passed over the steamer Sonoma at 2.44 p.m. She was then 750 miles out. According to a wireless message from the Sonoma the Fokker plane had readied that point in about eight hours. The machine was flying low and was apparently maintaining a speed of about 200 miles an hour. In view of the heavy load of petrol (1040 gallons) and the total gross weight of the plane that speed is considered to indicate that it can be increased later, in which case the journey may be completed in 22 hours. There is a favourable following wind, and increasing optimism is felt as to the success of the flight. Kival Flight Postponed. The flight of Mr. Smith and Captain Carter had to bo postponed. They started at 9.36 a.m., but the wind-shield of their plane was blown in and they had to return after seven minutes to Oakland. The two men hoped to resume the flight at any moment, but after waiting for several hours they decided to postpone the venture indefinitely. ft is understood that the plane, which has an old engine, is not suited for a long-distance flight.

BOUND FOR FRANCE. BYRD TAKES THE AIR. DEPARTURE FROM NEW YORK. (Received Jcne 29. 11.15 p.m ) A. and N.Z. NEW YORK, June 29. Another attempted flight from New York to Paris was commenced this morning. The monoplane America left, the Roosevelt Field, long Island, at 5.24 a.m. in charge of Commander Ricllard Byrd, the hero of the first flight over the North Pole. Also in the machine were Messrs. Bert Acosta and George Neville, pilots, and Bernt and Balchen, relief pilots. In a final interview Commander Byrd said : "We are not going to have ideal weather. The conditions are not anything like as good as those Captain Lindbergh and Mr. Chamberlain had."