AMERICA TO HAWAII.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19677, 1 July 1927, Page 11

AMERICA TO HAWAII.

SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT.

ARRIVAL OF MONOPLANE.

FLYING TIME UNDER 26 HOURS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyricht A. and N.Z. HONOLULU. June 29. The two United States Army airmen, Lieutenants Lester Maitland, pilot, and Albert Hegenberger, navigator, who left Oakland, California, yesterday morning in an army Fokker monoplane, landed in the Wheeler Field at Honolulu at 6.31 a.m. to-day. The airmen' 3 flying time on the nonstop trip was 25 hours 43 minutes.,

The plane made a perfect landing and taxied to a position directly in front of the reviewing stand A battalion of troops immediately surrounded it. The fliers stepped out of the machine They looked weary, but said they were feeling well. They had missed their landing directions, and this delayed their arrival somewhat and caused temporary anxiety among the thousands of people who had gathered to greet them. Although a group of escort planes had been searching over the Motorkia Channel for hours no one saw the monoplane until it was 50 feet from the ground. Lieutenant Maitland said: "This is my life's desire come true. The flight was a marvellous success Although we had bad weather for part of the time, the piano behaved perfectly. "We heard radio signals until last night, when one of our receiving sets was out of commission." The airmen were greeted by the Governor, Mr. Wallace R. Farrington, and by army and navy officials. Floral garlands were hung around the necks ol both men. and after a brief reception they were driven to the army headquarters. Military and civilian police wero busy keeping off the crowd.

The flight made by Lieutenants Maitland and Hegenberger is the first to be actually completed from America to Hawaii. A technical success was claimed for the attempt made in September, 1925, by Commander John Rodgers, of the United States Navv, in the P.N.9., No. 1. on. the ground that the crew did not leave their seaplane until it grounded on Kauai Island. Nevertheless, the fact remains that on that occasion the air journey ended when the machine made a forced descent 400 miles from Hawaii.

Fabric was cut from the lower wing oi the seaplane and a foresail was rigged. The machine was sailed before tho wind in an effort to reach land. Ultimately a patrolling submarine sighted tho machine and towed it into port.

ACROSS THE TASMAN.

SETBACK FOR THE PROJECT.

MACHINE NOT AVAILABLE

(Received June 30, 9.40 p.n .) A. and N.Z. MELBOURNE, June 30. The Aero Club's plan for a flight from Australia to New Zealand has been set back temporarily owing to a decision made by the British Air Ministry. This is not to release from the secret list a De Havilland machine of a new type now being constructed for the Air Force. Major De Havilland had offered to place one of these machines at the disposal of the Aero Club for the projected flight, but the Air Ministry's decision will prevent him from so doing.