SUCCESSFUL LANDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20601, 27 June 1930, Page 13

SUCCESSFUL LANDING.

TASK OF FEEDING FIELD. LONG SEARCH BEFOREHAND. FLIERS WELL BUT TIRED. OVATION FROM SPECTATORS. (Coyyriglit in New Zealand by Australian Press Association. World's Copyright by New York Times.) (Received Juno 26, 5.35 p.m.) NSW YORK. June 25. The New York Times correspondent at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland', states that at daylight Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith and his associates were sleeping. They were to start at 4 p.m. to take in petrol for the dash to New York, and expected to take oft at daylight tomorrow. When asked to relate their experiences Smith said they had a terrible night. The trip was uneventful until within 10 miles of Cape Race, although they had encountered a heavy gale for about five hours. From that point, they experienced fog, and as one of their compasses went wrong they had to depend oh directional finding to keep on their course. The stations used were Belle Isiand, in the Straits of Bell Island, and Cape Race. The engines and the monoplane worked like a charm all the way. When the four men stepped from the monoplane at the landing field they looked as fit as fiddles. They were a little bleary-eyed and quite deaf, but had broad smiles of contentment on their faces.' The first request the fliers made was for cigarettes. They were quickly supplied. The crowd of spectators at the landing field gave them a rousing ovation before they left in taxis for the Hotel Cochrane, where, having breakfasted, they went to bed at 10 a.m. At a point 500 miles from Capo Race the airmen were careful to check their instruments on the basis'of the position determined from ships. They decided to rely upon wireless information to make their way, as they were then convinced that the compass was deranged. The fliers believe they hovered for an hour and a-half over Harbour Grace before determining where they were and making the landing. The navigator, Mr. Patrick Saul, said: "For boisterous weather, fog, shifting winds, cold and difficulties in navigation this flight surpassed all my experiences. It really was quite harrowing. The compasses went wrong, and at times it looked hopeless. " We did not know where we were and we were chilled to the bone. No one was aver happier than I was when we made a safo landing." Kingsford Smith, in a further conversation with reporters and others at Harbour Grace, confined his remarks to mention of a "tough night."

INVALUABLE RADIO. USE SAVES THE AIRMEN. WILL FLY TO SAN FRAiNCISCO. NEW YORK, June 25. The Associated Press correspondent at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, in describing the landing of the Southern Cross, says: After circling round the town several times in a heavy fog the monoplane landed easily in the aviation field, coming to rest on the ground without any difficulty. Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith said thev would never have reached Harbour Grace but for the wonderful radio, without which they would never have got out of the fog. Thev would have had to fly about waiting for the visibility to improve, and with only a few gall wis of petrol in the tank. He preferred not to think what might have happened in those circuni' stances.

" We will leave for New York at daybreak to-morrow after refuelling," said Smith. "We were hoping to reach New York without a stop, but the shortage of gas prevented us doing so. will fly to San Francisco from New York. I shall then have completed a round-the-world flight." Mr. J. S. W. Stannage said: "But for directional wireless we would never have been able to reach Harbour Grace." He praised the operators at Belle Island and Caps Race for having made it possible for them to land.