SIR CHARLES KINGSFORD SMITH

Opunake Times, 16 January 1934, Page 4

SIR CHARLES KINGSFORD SMITH

A REMARKABLE CAREER.

UU TSTANDING INCIDENTS

Aii Commodore Sir Charles Eingsford-Snxith, Kt., M.C.. A.F.C., was the first .Australian to fly across the Atlantic. He was also'the first man in the world to have flown across two oceans, Atlantic and Pacific and, at the same time, across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. He also lowered the late Mr Bert 11 inkier'* recoid by six days in a solo flight from England to Australia and recently established the solo record from England to Australia, beating Mr C. W. A. Scott's record made last year, by one day sixteen hours.

Up to the time of his flight across the Atlantic, no machine had ever made an uninterrupted flight westward from Europe to New York without mishap, and the journey, in the opinion of notable aviators, is a particularly dangerous one._ When the history of the present decade is written, one of the most interesting chapters will be that about aviation, and the first amongst the names of great pioneers of long distance flights will be that of Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

It is not many years ago since Kiugsford-Smith was a pilot of the West Australian Airways on the Perth-Derby service, where his ability as a pilot stood beyond question. After serving with the West Australian Airways for over 12 months, he purchased a -Bristol tourer, which is the war-time pilot's well beloved Bristol Fighter, modified to carry two passengers in the one-time observer's compartment, and with las favourteengineer, the late Mr Hitchcock, Hew to Sydney witli the object of carrying out a flight around Australia.

His round-Australia flight with Mr C. T. P. Ulm first brought before the public an exceptionally brilliant pilot and navigator, and a capable long-distance flyer. Those unaccustomed to longdistance flying bave no idea of the mental and physical control a pilot must exercise when sitting at the controls of an aeroplane for many hours at a stretch. The majority of pilots ge> extremely bored during a non-stop flight of only a few hours, even when there are pleasant objects beneath to absorb the mind, such as landing l grounds, railways and townships, and Kings-ford—Smith and his companions on their trans-oceanic flights were no exception to the rule. When it comes to sitting behind an instrument board for more than 31 hours over the sea. through all sort of weather, with nothing 1o do but check the instruments and the course given by the navigator the pilot must have exceptional patience and endurance. It is needless to recount all the magnificent flights that have been made by Kingsford-Smith in his Wrigbt-engined Fokker monoplane, the "Southern Cross," but we will single out a few of his outstanding flights.

First there is the Pacific flight (three stops) from California to Honolulu, thence to Fiji, aud to Brisbane, and from there to Melbourne and Perth and return; Sydney to New Zealand and return twice; Australia to England; England to America, aud the recent fifth Tasman flight, Any one of these flights would place Kingsford-Smith in the front rank of the world's foremost aviators, but his ambition urged him on to attempt the Atlantic flight, which would give him the distinction of having circled the globe. lie is not yet 87 years of age. lie flew with distinction at the war at the age of 19 and gained the Military Cross, and incidentally was "winged'' by that great German ace, Pichthofen. Soon alter the flight from Australia to England, (lie "Southern Cross" was flown to the Fokker works at Amsterdam to be overhauled and prepared fr the Atlantic flight. Whilst the machine was being reconditioned, Mr Doc. Maidment of the Wright Company, thoroughly overhauled the engines. The engines on the wings, both port and were cowled and streamlined to offer the least wind resistance. It will be remembered that the "Southern Cross" is an American built Fokker monoplane, powered with three Wright Whirlwind engines. Each engine develops 220 h.p. at 1800 r.p.m. and consumes 12 gallons of fuel and two pints of oil pei- hour, making a total consumption of 36 gallons of petrol per hour. Kingsford-Smith then flew the machine to England and decided upon the personnel of his crew. Later he flew to Ireland and waited reports from the Meteorological Department predicting favourable weather conditions. Tired of waiting he took off at Port Marnock (Ireland) in the early morning of Tuesday, June 23rd, 1930.

It is interesting to relate at this stage that the machine carried 1275 gallons of Plume Motor spirit and 27 gallons of Mobiloil. The oil and fuel carried at the out set of the flight weighed 44 tons. The flight of Kingsford-Smith from Ireland to America was the first successful east to west transAtlantic flight hv the northern route (and this flight was accomplished in 31| flying hours), and Kingsford-Smith once again proved to the world his capacity to carry out what is recognised as a most difficult, and hazardous undertaking, and has realised his amhitiou of flying completely

around the world. VV e have heard the remark passed that there is no need for brave men to risk their lives in spectacular flights, but we all know of ttie great increase in air-minded-ness throughout America, and probably the whole world which followed Lindbergh's great flight from New York to Paris live years ago, and there is no doubt that the development of commercial aviation is given great impetus by the successful accomplishment' of flights such as those carried out by Amy Johnson, Kingsford-Smith, Scott, Hinkler and others. They dramatically displayed the capabilities and practical utility of the aeroplane. Plights such as those carried out by Kingford-Smith show the general public, both in this country and abroad, that aviation has advanced to a far greater extent than is generally realised and undoubtedly, history has proved again and again that the outstanding achievements of to-day will become the commonplaces of to-morrow.

More than ever does the history of the "Southern Cross" read like a story book when we remember that for many months it was abandoned on the icy wastes of Alaska by another famous Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins, who took two Fokkers with him and left them both in Alaska after a rearrangement of his plans. Before Kingsford-Smith and Mr Ulm purchased the machine, it had been used for the transport of passengers to all manner of places. After the trans-Atlantic flight the "Southern Cross" was flown by "Smithy" to Oaklands, California, and presented to Capt. Hancock, who was the financial backer of their Pacific flight, and Hancock, in turn, presented it back to "Smithy" again, and it was shipped to Australia, converted into a commercial passenger carrying machine, and used by the Australian National Airways mainly for their Tasmauian service. Since then, Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith has visited most States of Australia, and also New Zealand to give passengerflights and thus afford the public an opportunity of actually flying with him in his wonderful old "bus."

Kingsford-Smith was knighted by the King last year and his recent sensational solo record in til* English built and Australian designed "Percival Gull" monoplane is still fresh in the minds of the public.