AVIATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 26

AVIATION

COLONEL LINDBERGH.

“ CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.” PARIS, January 16. The International Union • of Aviators awarded Colonel Lindbergh the men’s in ternational trophy for 1927, with the title of “ champion aviator of the world." A new title—" lady champion aviator oi the world ” —was "yrt'ded to Lady Bailey. OTHER TITLED CONFERRED. LONDON, January 16. The International Union of Aviators has awarded the title of National Air Champion to Costes and Lebrix (France), Webster (Britain), Wouters (air line pilot, Belgium), and Koppen (Holland).

THE ENDURANCE RECORD.

CAPTAIN SMITH TAKES OFF. SAN I&ANCISCO, January 17. Captain Kingsford Smith and Lieutenant Pond left Mills Field at 8.11 this morning in the Spirit o£ California in an attempt to break the endurance record. The ’plane carried 1532 gal of petrol and 32gal of oil. The ’plane sped doyn the field for nearly 5000 ft with the great weight of the fuel supply before it took the air. The airmen are now carrying lOOgal more petrol than on the previous attempt. Captain Smith stated that he and Lieutenant Pond would cruise about the San Francisco Bay district for the first few hours, possibly going as far south as San Jose, and later, as the petrol consumed lessened the ’plane’s weight, the pair would probably cruise inland as far as Sacramento and Stockton. As on the previous flight they carried 20 sandwiches, hot soup, and coffee in thermos bottles, and condensed chocolate, also water enough to last for three days.

LATEST ATTEMPT FAILS. SAN FRANCISCO, January 19. The. following are, the progress messages of the flight: — “ Gas generators jammed. Petrol getting low. Tlie Spirit of California is still afloat, though she has .not been heard from since 11:57 last evening. : “ The Spirit of California at 2.40 a.m. reported: Gas getting low, but thought could hold out until daylight.” ‘Captain Smith wirelessed: Petrol nearly exhausted. Can remain in the air only a short time longer. Falling far short of record. “ Captain Smith states the he is experiencing‘extreme cold, but it is liveable’

in the ’plane. He said nothing in regard to the petrol supply. “At 9.15 the ’plane circled over Mills Field. Elevation, 2500 ft. The three motors are throttled down to the limit. Captain Smith then wirelessed that the> reserve tank held enough petrol to last another half hour.

“ Captain Kingsford Smith’s attempt fails. He ends a 50-hour flight at 10.15. this morning through gasoline shortage.” Tlie record is 52hr 23min. PETROL SUPPLY GIVES OUT. SAN FRANCISCO, January 19. Realising the inevitability of failure during the last few hours, due to the shortage of petrol, Captain Smith and Lieutenant Pond struggled desperately to conserve the fuel. They remained in the air aboye Mills Field until the emergency tanks were drained. They landed chilled and exhausted, and both had to be lifted from the ’plane. EFFECT OF THE COLD. SAN FRANCISCO. January 19. Captain Kingsford Smith and Lieutenant Pond upon landing were deafened by the drone of the motors, and were unable to hear the shouts of the onlookers. They said that they knew at 2 o’clock in the morning that they’ would be unable to break the record. The petrol consumption had been far greater than was estimated. They suffered much from cold and loss of sleep, but had decided to remain in the air as long as possible. They blamed the failure wholly to the cold, which forced them to speed the motors to obtain warmth, thus increasing the petrol consumption. STILL DETERMINED. SAN FRANCISCO, January 19. Captain Smith said: “We will be ready to try again after several days’ rest. If the temperature gives us an even break we will come down with the record.” CAPTAIN SMITH’S NARROW ESCAPE. SAN FRANCISCO. January 19. When congratulated on their narrow escape from death at the take-off on Tuesday, Lieutenant Pond said : “ I could see the angels sitting on top of the Golden Gate. There were no empty seats for us, so I bumped her over.” A bystander commented: “It was wonderful.” and Lieutenant Pond said: “That’s what Smithy thought.” ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. COMMANDER BYRD’S PLANS. NEW YORK, January 17. Commander Byrd announces that he will leave New York on his Antarctic expedition on September 10 aboard the ice ship Sampson, which he purchased in Norway. He is expected to return in June, 1929. DUTCH UNDERTAKING. FLIGHT TO BATAVIA. AMSTERDAM, January 20. Using a special three-engined Fokker ’plane and carrying three assistant pilots, B. Grase, the technical head of the Fokker works, proposes to make a i.igmoi to Batavia in three 24 hour stages—Amsterdam, Basra, Allahabad, Batavia. Before undertaking this journey he ntends to attempt a world endurance record around Holland, also a non-stop flight to America if he succeeds in the Batavia effort. SLR ALAN COBHAM. RESUMPTION OF FLIGHT. MALTA, January 21. Sir Alan Cobham resumed his flight eif route to Benghazi.

AEROPLANE ACCIDENTS.

TWO CASES ON THE CONTINENT. BERLIN, January 21.

A Cologne message states that two serious crashes, in which French passenger aeroplanes were involved, are reported. In the first case a ’plane on the Paris-Berlin route became befogged and crashed in a wood near Tecklenburg, Prussia, where it was wrecked. A Frenchman jumped out anj was slightly injured, and two Germans were dangerously hurt. The pilot succumbed. The second crash occnrrred near Essen, three passengers being seriously injured.