PACIFIC FLIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19962, 2 June 1928, Page 11

PACIFIC FLIGHT.

START FOE HONOLULU. KINGSFORD SMITH S PARTY TAKE-OFF FROM OAKLAND. GOOD WEATHER PREVAILS. SCENES OF ENTHUSIASM. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. SAN FRANCISCO. May 31. The monoplane Southern Cross left the Mills Field. Oakland, California, at 8.53 a.m. to-day on the attempted flight to Brisbane, Australia, via Honolulu and Suva. The crew comprises Captain Kingsford Smith and Mr. C. T. Ulm, co-pilots; Captain 11. Lyon, navigator; and Mr. J. Warner, wireless operator. The United Stales weather bureau at San Francisco had reported as follows: The monoplane will have low, broken clouds and moderate to fresh northerly winds with an average velocity of about 16 miles an hour for the. first 400 miles. Then it will encounter light and variable winds and broken clouds until it approaches the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands, when clear skies and moderate east winds, with a velocity of 15 to 20 miles an hour will be encountered. No disturbances arc charted over the route between San Francisco and Hawaii. The weather and wind conditions arc favourable for the start. Start After False Take Off. Captain Smith arrived, at the air port shortly after.7 a.m. He was wearing his flying clothes,. ' His three companions arrived shortly after 8 a.m. Several hundred people had gathered at the field and the police began to clear the crowd back from the plane preparatory to starting the motors. When the first motor was running Captain Smith climbed into the pilots' cockpit and shouted Cheerio "j to a group of friends standing nearby.*; He then began to examine the charts on the instrument board. The other members of the crew had entered the plane and taken their positions shortly before this. The take-off was accomplished with Captain Smith at the controls. The giant monoplane started down the runway, but the centre motor went dead and the pilot cut off the other two motors and stopped the plane. He then returned to the runway and started again, making an easy take-off. The Southern Cross took the air after a run of 5000 ft. It rose from the ground for a moment, settled down, then rose again gracefully in spite of its load of seven toas. There were 1200 gallons of petrol in the fuel tanks. The plane climbed to an altitude of 100 ft. and its speed increased. A moment later it vanished from sight into a slight sun-pierced haze in the west. Twenty-five Hours for Trip. The plane paissed over the city at 8.59 a.m. Thousands of people in the streets stopped and' gazed upward at the blue and silver machine. Its wings gleamed in the morning sun as it turned to the north-west and sped toward the open ocean past the Golden -Gate. The crowd at the field had increased rapidly during the morning, and about 5000 people witnessed the actual departure. Extra police guards kept them from the runway. The fire-waggon of the air port had proceeded to the 5000 ft. mark, of the runway and was ready for any emergency. Captain Smith was given a copy of the Government weather report just before the start. It was arranged that the plane should bo guided during the first part of the flight by the radio beacon at Crissey Field, San Francisco. Midway between San Francisco and Hawaii it was to pick up the radio beacon at the Wheeler Field, near Honolulu. Captain Smith estimated that the flight to Honolulu would take about 25 hours, and that the plane would attain a speed of from 90 to 100 miles an hour at first and later increase it slightly as the weight of the fuel load was cut down. The crew did not take life-rafts or any other safety devices. Captain Smith said they would only increase the weight of the plane and they would not need them. Hine Vessels Along the Route. Prior to the start a hack-saw was placed in the cockpit of the plane to be used in cutting away the three heavy engines in case of a forced descent on the sea. Captain Smith said he was confident the plane would remain afloat for some hours with the engines cut away and the petrol tanks emptied by means of the emergency valves. Mr. Warner said he expected to send out hourly wireless reports as to the position of the plane to the land stations along the Californian coast, to those in Hawaii and to ships at sea. The plane carried tince wireless sets. One was supplied with power by storage batteries, so that a call for aid could be sent out even if the motors were disabled. Nine vessels were reported early to-day alcng the route to Honolulu, namely, the Calawaii, Vigilant, Massa, Lubrico, Herborg, Wilhelmina, President McKinley, Maiolo, and the tug Meigh. All were advised to keep a constant look-out for the passing plane. The news of the departure of the Southern Cross was flashed immediately to Honolulu, where United States Army officers were ready to begin working tho radio beacon at the Wheeler Field. Women Display Emotion; Before the start friends of the airmen pressed around them as they walked from the administration building of tho air port and took their positions in the plane. Three women kissed Captain Smith with tears in their eyes, and he seemed to be confused by their show of emotion. Ihe woman who spoke last to him was ihe mother of the late Lieutenant Eiehwaldt, who perished in the Dole flight. She presented Captain Smith with a silver ring which her son had fashioned from a franc piece while he was serving with the American forces in France. Just before the machine left Captain Smith said he had realised the ambition he had had for eight years.. The plane was equipped as finely as was humanly possible. The plane carried one week's emergency rations', several dozen sand- ! wiches. coffee, hot soup in thermos flasks, j chocolate, and other concentrated i'oods„

Captain Lyon, questioned as to his expectations for 1 the success of the flight, said: I have not the slightest shadow of a aoubt I was born to be hanged, not drowned. He showed a plain pin which he had picked up and said he intended to wear it to Suva for luck. Ihe leader of the party wore a silver and black enamel cat on his helmet. He remarked: I have worn Felix six or seven years and have always secured what I set out for. He has been lucky for me, I suppose, for here I am. He said a young woman had given him the token. Silver Buddha as Mascot. Mr. Ulm carred a small silver Buddha for good luck. However, 'he said, a good plane, an efficient crew and excellent preparations would have something to do with their success. He opened the Buddha and displayed a rattlesnake's tail, saying he did not know its significance, but a war comrade had sent him the Buddha from Sydney. It would carry them through. Mr. Warner carried no luck charm. He said he had had much bad luck in his life and now a little good luck was due to him. Captain Lyon wandered about among the crowd eating ices and peanuts, with a straw hat on his head. He said he was a Nomad. He resigned from the Navy twice because lie could not tolerate being bound. He did not think this flight to Australia would be the peak of his adventures. Perhaps someone would think out a longer hop for his next flight. Adventure always lured him. Two Experts With, the Party. The airmen expect to remain at Honolulu 36 hours before proceeding to Suva. Captain Lyon is a son of Rear-Admiral Lyon, of the American Navy. Young Lyon commanded several vessels, including the cruiser St. Louis, during the Great War. He has had 20 years' experience in navigating the Pacific. Mr. Warner served under Captain Lyon as chief wireless operator of the St. Louis. He is described as one of the most efficient wireless operators developed by the Navy. The flight started from Oakland at 9 a.m. on Thursday, which was equivalent to approximately 4.30 a.m. yesterday in New Zealand. According to the latest estimate the distance to Honolulu will be traversed in 28j hours, so that the time of the Southern Cross' arrival would be equivalent to about 9 o'clock this morning.