"PAINFULLY SLOW"

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16826, 13 December 1928, Page 5

"PAINFULLY SLOW"

AIRMAN'S IMPRESSION

TASMAN STEAMER TRIP

To Mr. T. H. McWilliuiiis, wireless operator of the Southern Cross, the journey across the Tasinan by steamer after two crossings by air seemed painfully slow. He fold a Sun reporter as much on his arrival at Christ church, where he is spending a few days' holiday while awaiting a .telegram from Captain Flm telling him of the airmen's future plans. His ambition at the- moment,, having been granted an honorary commission in the New Zealand Air Force, is to qualify to wear a pilot's wings. "I'm just having a little holiday," said Air. Me Williams, who looked .brown, and. very fit. "There is a •probability that, the Southern Cross niav be flown from Honolulu to America, though nothing definite had been decided about that. If there arc any more flights, I will lie going again as wireless operator, and Litchfield will be the navigator.

"The arrangement is that as soon as anything defijiile about the proposed flight is decided on I will be catded for. " Kingston! Smith and Elm have definitely decided to go to America.. The newspapers have also mentioned that they may go to England." SECOND BEST TBI.P lu spite of the fact that the trip .from Blenheim lo Sydney took so much longer than the journey across the Tasnian the first time, Mr. McWilliams declared that it was not nearly such an uncomfortable one. "We were all very tired," he said, "for it was solid_ plugging all the way; but wasn't nearly so bad sis the trip across, -when we ran into conditions that were absolutely frightful, All the radio gear was working well, too, for we didn't strike any lightning as on the way owr. "I had a groat time over there. 1 hsive always liked New South Wales, bul [ am glad to be back in New Zealand. The trip over in the steamer did seem painfully slow, though. "1 was very pleased with the honor the Government did us by giving us commissions in the Now Zealand. Air Force. The next thing 1 want to do is to qualify for my 'wings." .1 hope 1 'II be able lo manage it," he said.