THE GREAT FLIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20767, 9 January 1931, Page 12

THE GREAT FLIGHT.

MENZIES' EXPLOIT.

WEATHER CONQUERED.

iWIND, RAIN ANI) HAIL.

THE PROUDEST MOMENT.

FIRST SIGHT OF COAST.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

£by telegraph.—own correspondent. ] HOKITIKA. Thursday.

The first solo flight across the Tasman Sea is to bo merely a prelude to tho greater ambitions of Mr. Gjiv Menzics, the daring Australian aviator who landed in a'swamp near TTarihari on Wednesday xifternoon. Sitting up in his bed in a Hokitika hotel this morning he told of his plans for other important flights from Australia to Japan, round Australia, and from Melbourne to Perth, nil to be undertaken in the Southern Cross Junior. Mr. Menzics will make the Australian flights within the next three months, and expects to leave for Japan about June of this year. lie intends to fiv round the coast, of Australia in fewer than seven clays, and to attempt to break the existing speed record from Melbourno to Perth. Preparations for each of the'se flights will be made as thorough as those for the Tasman cross'ng, for in spite of criticism Mr. Menzics declares that he had been planning the present flight for several months, and has since October been waiting only for a suitable machine. Visibility Very Poor.

"I flew the Taeman and landed on the West Coast up to my neck in mud," he began, when telling of his adventures. "I was only five miles out when I first saw the coast and the mountains. It was the proudest moment of my young lifo. Sometimes I was floating just above the waves of the Tasman Sea because of the weather. I had the breeze up on several occasions. The weather was rotten and the visibility was poor. Sometimes I was 11,000 ft. up, always searching for a good visibility, which I could not find. Over the land I could just see the mountains going into tho clouds, and that was enough for me. Down I came. If I had gone further north to Blenheim as I intended I doubt whether it would have been possible to get through (ho mist at all. It was doubly thick up there, and I could seo no sign of shipping." Wind, rain and hail were some of tho discomforts which he suffered on the trip. " Plump into tho Mud." VI am still a bit stiff, you see. As 1 bumped down I hit my mouth against the windshield and then undoing the harness fell out plump into tho mud. Not until the wheels touched the ground did I realise that the spot was a bog, and , tho machine went straight in, tipping up. If the ground had been hard I could have made a perfect landing. I had only two hours' petrol left. I was carrying only 16 hours' worth —not as much as they said. I was hoping to do the whole flight in 10 hours and if I had not struck bad weather I would have done it, in that time. -As it was, I had enough juice to tackle the mountains, but I could not reckon how high they were. If I had known what I know now I should have tackled them and gone over to Christchurch, or at least to the Grey mouth beach." Frightful Weather. Leaving Sydney at 1 a.m. (Sydney time) Mr. Menkes flew against head winds until dawn. Aftei' an hour's calm a southwester blew up, bringing with it heavy cloud 3 and frightful weather. The machine began to bump badly and he had several scares. Tho rain started at an early stage of his journey. The Southern Cross Junior, he emphasised, behaved marvellously. The engine never faltered once and a veiy complete sot of instruments largely compensated for lack of wireless The motor was turning nt 1925 revolutions a minute for tho whole distapce, giving a speed of approxi- • nmfely 100 miles an hour. Thero was also n tail wind of 60 miles an hour, although this was not dead on tho tail. With a pad strapped on to his left knee ho took his bearings and checked ; all figures every half-hour of tho flight. In the cockpit he was well sheltered from the rain, but tho atmosphero abovo 6000 ft. was very cold. Meteorological Reports. "I left Sydney at such an unusual time because I wanted to catch the wind just as it was changing," continued Mr. Menides. "The Sydney meteorologist happens to be a friend of mine and I was able to /'get reports from him day by day beforo I left. He kept the flight well under his hat and only six people were present at the take off from tho Mascot aerodrome nnder the headlights of motor-cars. "There is no truth in the story that I made the flight for a . bet and I am not going to fly back. I bought tho Southern Cross Junior from Ulm, with this and the other flights definitely in mind. I did not got it until Christmas Day, but then, after months of preparation, I had every detail worked out. In reply to those who have criticised me for tuning undue risks I admit that thero was the natural risk, but I had taken every precaution to make the dangers as light as possible. When I left Sydney I felt finite certain of getting here. I left nothing to chance that could possibly be worked out beforehand." HERO WORSHIP. KISSED BY FAIR SEX. HOSPITALITY OF THE COAST. [I!Y TKT.KOIIAt'ir. —OWN COR IIESPON RENT. ] TIOKITIKA, Thursday. The nirmnn become the hero of tho coast and is most hospitably received everywhere. On the night of his landing he was warmly welcomed by the people of Hokitika' and now he has only to walk from his hotel door to lie surrounded by a cheering crowd: The people of the smaller villages between Hokitika and Harihari lined the road to-day to catch a glimpse of him as lie travelled back to Ihe aeroplane. At ftoss, a small mining town, he was given a splendid reception. Women poked their heads into lii* car and kissed him. It. s nice," he said. "They stop me at the smallest villages and take me in fo have a drink. It has all been very great i«n. I ;»m delighted with tho hospitality of tho coast."