FLIGHT TO HAWAII.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19963, 4 June 1928, Page 9

FLIGHT TO HAWAII.

{AUSTRALIANS ARRIVE. WELCOME BY GREAT CROWD SCENE AT THE LANDING. SECOND STAGE TO FIJI. FINAL GOAL BRISBANE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. lAustrnlian Press Association—United Service (Beceived June 2. 5.5 p.m.) HONOLULU. June 1. The monoplane Southern Cross reached Honolulu .it 9.49 a.m. to-day. having flown fron Oakland. California, in 27 hours 27 minutes. The two Australian aviators, Captain Kingsford Smith and Jfr. C. T. Ulm (co-pilots), and two Americans, Captain H. Lyon (navigator) and Mr. J- Warner (wireless operator), comprised the crew. As it entered the Wheeler Field the pl.ine left, its escort of Army and Navy planes, which had greeted it off Oahu, and the airmen threw their giant machine into a sharp vertical " bank." Then they encircled the field before making a perfect landing directly in front of the reviewing stand. Then, led by Captain Smith, the four fliers climbed from the plane and smilingly met the Governor of Hawaii, Mr. W. R. Farrington, who stepped forward and . piled floral wreaths high shove their necks. Other high officials shook hands with the airmen and also decorated them with flowers. A crowd surrounded them shouting congratulations, while photographers scrambled for portraits for the moving pictures. The plane still had 150 gallons of petrel left, which would have enabled them to have remained in the air rfor another three hours. Airmen Deny They Lost Their Way.

About the only comment made by Captain Smith about the crossing of the Pacific was: "We had a beautiful trip, and encountered, no trouble at all. We will continue on to Suva on Sunday." Captain Lyon was more specific. In answer to a question as to whether or not the plane had lost her position during the final hours of the flight, as had been twice reported here, he scoffed the idea; "Lost I" he exclaimed. "No. After being an interisland navigator for four years would you believe I -would lost my way? We did lose touch with the Crissley radio beacon 500 miles out from San Francisco and Ave never picked it up again." All four airmen agreed that the flight bad been perfect, although Captain Lyon said they had fought tho clouds all the way across. Although the airmen plainly showed signs of the strain of their exacting experience they did not indicate by their facial expressions that they woro any more worn than any of the hundreds of people who had awaited their arrival. The fliers only remained at the field a few minutes, after which they were rushed to their hotel and retired to rest. Start for Suva on Sunday. This flight of the Southern Cross from Oakland to Honolulu is perhaps the most perfect trans-ocean flight ever achieved. The fliers were constantly in communication with ships and the shore and were never a great deal off their course. Some anxiety was caused a few hours before the landing when a " dead " battery prevented the plane's receiving set working. As a result the airmen could not check their bearings by radio. The sending set was not affected. The motors functioned perfectly. Captain Smith said he would fly the plane to the Barking Sands beach at Kauai Island to-morrow afternoon and takeoff for Suva from there on Sunday. This statement dispelled all doubts relating to the continuation of the flight to Brisbane, Australia. The distance which the airmen contemplate covering between Honolulu and Suva is 3180 miles. In order to accomplish this, the Southern Cross must carry 300 gallons more petrol than she carried between-Oakland and the Wheeler Field. She will have to take-off from an area 4500 ft. long. A message from Suva says the authorities there are having Albert Park prepared for the landing. Some trees are being cut down and telegraph wires are being removed from the area. Last Stages o 1 the Journey. Among the wireless messages received from the fliers as they approached Honolulu was one to the Governor signed by Captain Lyon. This informed Mr. Farxington that a brother "Beta" was coming to see him on the Southern Cross. This was a reference to a college fraternity of which Captain Lyon and the Governor were formerly members. Another message said the plane passed the Matson Line steamer Manoa an hour and a-half ahead of her schedule time at ft speed of 80 miles an hour and an altitude of 4500 ft.. That was 750 miles from Honolulu. As they passed the ship the airmen discharged rockets and flashed a strong light. They also wirelessed their best wishes and asked for baseball scores. As the first streaks of dawn set a glow on the Hawaiian Islands the Southern Cross was 400 miles from her goal—the first iap of her flight to Australia. With the approach of tho fliers the most intense interest in the history of transpacific flights gripped tho people of the city, and the road to the Wheeler tield represented a moving caravan. There ■were hundreds of motor-cars containing people bent on witnessing the arrival of the aiimen.

Clouds Mistaken for the Land. At 6.35 a.m. the airmen sent a radio message saying they had sighted land, but a little later came word that clouds had deceived them. They had received their bearings at 12.50 a.m. from the steamer Maliko. At 8.30 a.m. they were 165 miles from Honolulu and reported that they had iust enough petrol to complete the stage. With the trade winds at their backs the airmen were then flying at an average speed of slightly more than 90 miles an hour. During the first half of the voyage they had averaged about 80 miles an hour. Once, when a battery had temporarily failed, the airmen got their bearings again from the cruiser Richmond. At a distance of less than 300 miles from the Wheeler Field the piano was reported to be travelling at more than 100 wiles an hour. The speed was increased as the airmen drew near the islands.