ANOTHER FLIGHT TO NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20318, 28 January 1928, Page 12

ANOTHER FLIGHT TO NEW ZEALAND.

AN “ADVERTISING” SCHEME. THEI MOODY-GOLDBERG VENTURE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, January 20. Undeterred by the tragic fate that has overtaken Captain Hood and Lieutenant Moncrieff, with whose families the greatest sympathy is felt throughout Australia, another attempt to fly across the Tasman is already projected. Within a fortnight, so it is understood, Captain P. H. Moody, the Queensland airman accompanied by Mr Hoard Jolly as observer, will attempt the flight in a Ryan monoplane. It will be made undei the auspices of the Goldberg Advertising Agency, and the promoters state that the object ’is purely commercial—it will be primarily a flight to advertise Australian products' and Australian-made goods. “ Australian business is involved, says Mr Goldberg, “ and we wish to boost certain lines in New Zealand. Firms are advertising on the wings and body of the machine in various colours, bamples of produce will be carried, and I wish to emphasise that the machine will fly back to Australia from New Zealand. All precautions against failure will be taken.” Captain Moody flew a Ryan monoplane when he was in America, and therefoie ig no stranger to the machine. “ But I am not going to be over-confident, and as a preliminary I will fly, as a test, for not less than '35 hours in the ’plane, which will be assembled early next week. Of that time I propose to spend at least 17 hours in the air without alighting.” Captain Moody, who arrived in Sydney by motor car from Charleville, Queensland, on Tuesday, added that he would not leave tli© pilot’s seat during the 1360 miles’ flight to New Zealand. Mr Jolly, who will go on the ’plane as observer and radio man, is at present making a close study of wireless, and for the last three month’s he has been practising Morse telegraphy. Prominent Sydney business men are interesting themselves in the venture. Air-craftsman Ward, the Point Cook mechanic, will precede the airmen to New Zealand, after he has_ assembled the engine. He will adjust it in New Zealand for the return journey. 1 The Sydney Morning Herald publishes an interview with Mr W. J. Warneford, an ex-officer of the 3rd Australian Flying Squadron, who, with Mr Nigel Love, made some preparations for a transtasman flight nearly five years ago. “In looking up the details and advice given by the meteorological officer of New Zealand,Mr D. C. Bates,” he says, “I find that he stated that it would be to our advantage to fly from Wellington to Sydney rather than from Sydney to Wellington, keeping to the north of Lord Howe Island, to give us the benefit of the trade winds. ... I do not think that the flight was attended with all the safety factors that were possible. In the first instance, in flying east th e daylight factor was decreased. While everything was in the aviators’ favour, according to the best meteorological data available, the regular wind blowing from the south-east must be borne in mind. In flying from New Zealand to Australia there would be the benefit of flying from east to west, during the longest period of the sun,and, moreover, the aviators would have a larger tract of land in front of them on arrival off the Australian coast, which would of value in the case of any drift. A flight from New Zealand to Australia would also have the advantage of taking the aviators near to Lord Howe Island.” Mr Warneford also expressed the opinion that the machine did not have a long enough test before setting out on the long flight. PRIME MINISTER’S ATTITUDE. The Prime Minister (Mr Bruce) stated on Wednesday that although the Federal Government had had no official notification of the new proposal to fly to New Zealand, it was strongly opposed to long flights across the water unless an amphibian or seaplane, with proper equipment for sea flying, were used. H e pointed out that there was a regulation prohibiting the flying of land machines more than 50 miles out to sea unless they were fitted with floats—and Captain Moody does not propose to have the monoplane fitted with floats. ‘‘A RISKY JOURNEY.” The Sydney Sun, commenting editorially upon the Hood-Moncrieff flight, says: “ Those who know motor engines know the risks of a journey occupying 14 or 15 hours with the engine at full speed. Even if th e engine does not fail—at least an even chance —there is the risk of adverse winds or storms. There is the enormous leeway or diTTt, which one airman declares on his own experience, may be as much as 40 miles in 100. The general opinion is that the two lost airmen started in a flush of excitement, very -ill-prepared for such a journey. Their machine had undergone no prolonged tests, they were not navigators, they were not even able to use their wireless intelligibly, the aeroplane had no chance of floating if forced down, and was so small that if the pilot tired th e second man could not pass him in the cockpit to take the stick. There was no food carried, and barely enough fuel to meet ony unforeseen delay. . . . It is to be hoped, not only for th e sake of the airmen themselves, but for the sake of aviation, the cause of which is only set back by tragic occurrences like this, that the Commonwealth Government will be chary of sanctioning any attempt which, in the opinion of its aviation experts, does not appear to have at least the chances in its favour.” POSED AS CAPTAIN HOOD’S BROTHER. It is difficult to understand th e psychology of a young man who, just after the flyers wore reported lost, put up at Petty’s Hotel, one of the most fashionable in Sydney, and, posing as Captain Hood’s brother, left a few days later without payjng his bill. He repeated it at another hotel, where suspicions were aroused and lie left hurriedly. This young man who was on Tuesday sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, is said to be a well-known New Zealand criminal.