THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20452, 5 July 1928, Page 9

THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

PLIGHT ACROSS TASMAN SEA. NAVIGATOR APPOINTED. (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) SYDNEY, July 4. (Received July 4, at 8.25 p.m.) The navigator for Captain Kingsford Smith’s and Mr Ulm’s coming flight to New Zealand will be Mr Litchfield, who is described as a New Zealander. He is the third officer of the Union Company’s Waiotapu, and was formerly third officer on the Tahiti. — Australian Press Association. MR LITCHFIELD AN AUSTRALIAN. SYDNEY, July 4. (Received July 4, at 11.45 p.m.) Mr Litchfield is an Australian. He has been granted leave by the Union Steam Ship Company to undertake the flight. His appointment was made before Captain Kingsford Smith learned of the New Zealand Government’s wish for a native-born New Zealander to act as navigator.—Australian Press Association. MR ULM’S ENTHUSIASM. REGULAR SERVICE DISCUSSED. “ COMMERCIAL PROPOSITION.” (From Obb Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 28. Mr C. T. L T lm, co-organiser ■with Captain Kingsford Smith of the Pacific flight, is fired with enthusiasm for an air service across the Tasman, between Australia and New Zealand, and he has visions of a fleet of aircraft plying regularly between Sydney and Melbourne. Mr Ulm’s attitude is that, with the right type of machine, there is no question of the practicability of a regular air service between Australia and New Zealand, taking about 16 or 18 hours, as against the four to four and a-half days occupied by the steamers. He recommends a tri-motor Fokker as suitable for such a service, not merely because the Southern Cross is such, but because he is convinced that it would be most suitable for an over-water service. It would need to be either a flying boat or an amphibian of three, fonr, or five engines, and with a passenger, freight, and mailcarrying capacity of about two tons. While it might be pointed out that no such ’plane existed at present, it was possible to construct one. He ventured t say that the service he had in mind could be operating in 18 months. “ As already announced, we propose to do the New Zealand flight,” he continued, “ and then we will be in a better position to discuss more fully the commercial service which I have already outlined as an eminently practicable proposition in my opinion. We have not yet fixed the date of the flight, which will be a purely experimental one. It will not in any way be a publicity or a merely spectacular stunt. Kingsford Smith and I believe that the flight to New Zealand will be a further demonstration to the two countries and to the public that properly organised flying is as safe as, and more speedy than, ordinary transport.” When asked if he could throw any light on the tragic failure of Moncrieff and Hood, Mr 1m said that he preferred not to discuss that, as he was not in Sydney when the flight was commenced, and he 1 no first-hand knowledge to guide him. He and Kingsford Smith wanted to efface any possibility of doubt in the public mind as to the safety of a flight across the Tasman, in view of the commercial possibilities of the route and of the existing isolation of the two countries which have so much in common. “ The public may have become ‘ windy ’ with regard to the Tasman flight,” said Mr Ulm. “We feel positive that if Moncrieff and Hood were alive to-day they would be the first to help us in this flight, and remove doubts from the public mind. Pioneering, whether in aviation or any other enterprise, has always been attended with loss of life. The path of the pioneer has never been an easy one. Seven or eight lives has been lost in the Pacific, and a dozen or more in the Atlantic. These lives were not lost in vain, for. largely as a result of the lessons derived from these failures bc,h oceans have been successfully negotiated by air.” Mr Ulm is confident from his experiences of the successful air services in America to-day, and from his personal knowledge of ground and other organisation, that a regular and epeedy air service between Melbourne and Sydney, via Canberra, is quite practicable with trimotor Fokkers, with a carrying capacity of 12 or 14 passengers. He believes that that service could be made to pay without any Government subsidy. Mr Ulm would not say whether he and Smith intended to organise such a service. “ Recent flights, and not necessarily our own,” 'aid Mr Ulm, “ have chown the strong need for every Government keeping actively alive to, and in step •with, the rapid advances in aviation, not as some spectacular stunt, but with a solid and sound objective in view. lam not suggesting that the Commonwealth Government is lethargic. Air Marshal Sir John Salmond’s coming survey of aviation in Australia is an illustration of the fact that the position is being closely •watched.” The two Americans, Lyon and W arner, who accompanied Smith and Ulm on the Pacific flight, departed for home on Saturday last, and were given an enthusiastic farewell. Accompanyiny them were Captain Lancaster and Mrs Keith Miller who some time ago flew from England to Australia. It was announced that Mrs Miller was going as secretary to Lyon, and that Captain Lancaster would pilot machines for Lyon and Warner in pertain engagements they are likely to accept -vhen they arrive back in America —possibly in motion pictures. OFFER OF A PILOT. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, July 4. Following on the anouncement that it 5s the intention of Captain Kingsfoid Smith and Lieutenant Ulm to undertake the Tasman flight at the end of the month, a Wellington navigator has come forward as a volunteer for a place in the crew ot the Southern Cross in order to give -New Zealand a more direct interest in the great venture. The volunteer is Mr D. Burgess, of Hataitai, who is third officer of the Makura, and is now on leave from that vessel. It was at the request of a deputation that Mr Burgess agreed to offer his services as the navigator of the Southern Cross from Australia to New Zealand. In approaching Mr Burgess, the deputation pointed out that it was particularly desirous of seeing the distinction of a successful flight across the Tasman Sea shared by a New Zealand-born officer, and it considered that Mr Burgess was well qualified in every respect for the undertaking. Moreover, it was known that Mr Burgess was no stranger to Captain Kingsford, whom he had met on several occasions when the Makura was in San Francisco. It was anticipated that Mr Burgess would have no difficulty in obtaining the consent of the Union Company to ipake the flight, and Captain Foster, marine superinten dent of the Union Steam Ship Company, had stated quite frankly that he would like to see the ’plane navigated by a New Zealander. Mr Burgess cabled to Captain Kingsford Smith this morning offering his services for the Tasman flight, and representations have been made to the Prime aa to the advisability of recommeading a New Zealand navigator. Mr Burgess, who was born in Dunedin, will be 26 years of age this month. He comes of a seafaring family, his father being Captain W. Burgess, assistant superintendent of marine at Wellington, and he

has himself bad a unique experience for a young officer. He served his apprenticeship on the barque Rona, and subsequently joined the four-masted barque Rewa for that vessel’s last voyage—one which was well out of the ordinary run for a barque in these days. The Rewa proceeded from New Zealand to London, back to Newcastle, and then returned to New Zealand, the whole voyage occupying about a year. Since then the Rewa has been laid up.