MELBOURNE TO PERTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20024, 14 August 1928, Page 9

MELBOURNE TO PERTH.

FINE FEAT OF AVIATION. SOUTHERN CROSS' ARRIVAL. ONLY ONE PERSON PRESENT. CONFUSION ABOUT THE TIME. PERTH, Aug. 13. • The landing at the Maylands aerodrome yesterday morning of Squadron-leader C. E. Kingsford Smith, Flight-Lieutenant 0. T. P. Ulm, and their crew, Messrs. H. A. Litchfield (navigator) and T. H. McWilliam (wireless operator), in the monoplane Southern Cross, after their flight from Point Cook Melbourne, was remarkable for the fact that only one person was present. This was an aerodrome official named Seale. He had marked the landing spot by laying down two huge sheets. These enabled the aviators to make a fine landing on the water-logged flat.

"How do you do, everybody?" remarked Kingsford Smith when ho was greeted cordially by the enthusiastic official. Mr. Seale hastened to explain that nobody had expected the airmen so soon. They were two hours and a-lialf earlier than their scheduled hour of arrival. Kingsford Smith cheerily replied: "It is better to bo here early than not at all." Airmen Arrive V/om and Tired. The news of the arrival of the monoplane spread like wildfire. Cars filled with people were soon swarming over the enclosure. Mr. H. Millington, Minister of Agriculture, welcomed the fliers on behalf of the State Government. He apologised for the lateness of his appearance on the scene, which, he said, was due to confusion about the time. Somebody in authority had failed to realise that the time in Perth is two hours different from that in Melbourne. The airmen were worn and tired. Messrs. Litchfield and McWilliam were cramped and could not stand after they alighted from the cockpit of the machine. They soon recovered and faced the photographers. They then collected their own luggage and were driven to the Palace Hotel, where Messrs. Litchfield and McWilliam went straight to bed. The fliers are to be entertained by the civic and other authorities to-day, to-mor-row and on Wednesday. Return Journey at the Week-end. The return journey to Adelaide will be commenced on Saturday or Sunday. The actual distance flown by the Southern Cross was about 2000 air milts. The journey was accomplished in 23 hours 24 minutes. It was the first non-stop flight across the Commonwealth and is regarded as one of the finest feats of aviation, the more so as the airmen encountered a headwind and were never more than five minutes without rain and " blind " flying-

The co-commanders paid warm tributes to Messrs. Litchfield and McWilliam.