FAMOUS AIRMAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22018, 26 January 1935, Page 13

FAMOUS AIRMAN

SIR C. KINGSFORD SMITH PASSENGER ON MONTEREY FLYING PROGRESS IN AMERICA "Air transport has reached a pitch of perfection in the United States," said Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, who is a through passenger on the Monterey which called at Auckland yesterday en route to Sydney. Sir Charles is returning from the United States after his flight across the Pacific from Brisbane to San Francisco. Sir Charles said he felt in need of rest after an energetic life in the United States. 4 His navigator, Captain P. G. Taylor, would probably return by the Mariposa. Lady Kingsford Smith had cabled to say she wduld fly overhead in tho Southern Cross when the Monterey reached .Sydney Heads. Referring to the efficiency of American air services, Sir Charles said that he had flown 6000 miles on the airways while ho was in the United States, and the average speed was about 190 miles an hour. Forced landings were very uncommon, and if accidents were regarded in their correct perspective they were still more rare. Every month American airliners flew 23,000,000 miles and during the whole of his career he had flown 700,000 miles. Single-Engined Aircralt

"After having seen the efficiency of single-engined aircraft in use over comparatively short distances in the United States, 1 am more strongly in favour of them," continued Sir Charles. Night flying was as safe as it was possible to make it, lighted beacons having been placed every 10 miles and emergency landing grounds every 30 miles. There was the additional safety of the beam radio, which guided the aeroplanes from airport to airport; in fact, the pilots were never without guidance during the whole journey. Sir Charles said he considered that American aircraft were more suited to the conditions in Australia than English aircraft. He proposed floating a company for the manufacture of two American types of aeroplane, the Lockheed and the. Douglas, in Australia. It was intended to produce the wooden types of Lockheed, which were the Altair, Orion, Sirius and Vega. Machine Now For Sale After Sir Charles and Captain Taylor had landed in California, an attachment was placed on the Lockheed aeroplane. Sir Charles explained 'that a man who considered a debt was owing had obtained the order, but the matter was settled out of Court. The Lockheed was up for sale now and the price asked was £2500. Offers for the machine had not been very good. Sir Charles paid a tribute to the ready manner in which the American military and naval forces responded to the S.O.S. call from Mr. C. T. P. Ulm. The work of the pilots was splendid and very thorough. There was never any mention of cost, and none spared themselves;