ATLANTIC FLIGHT

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 86, 27 June 1930, Page 5

ATLANTIC FLIGHT

(ffiRY PROGRESS REPORTS FROM SMITH PLEASANT FLIGHT ABOVE THE CLOUDS. MESSAGES SENT IN RAPID SUCCESSION. (Received 9.30 a.m.) (Copyright in New Zealand by the Australian Press Association, world's copyright by New York Times). NEW YORK, June 2G. Smith wirelessed at 8 a.m.: "All well aboard here. Flying at a thousand feet above dense fog and thoroughly enjoying ourselves, A little while ago Vandyke and I got sick from an overdose of petrol fumes

. and nearly did the obvious, but we are now O.K. Very smooth air, and warm and pleasant". Signals from the Southern Cross were resumed at 10 a.m. .At 10.4 a message, stated: "We climber to 6500 feet to get above the fog. There are beautiful masses of ; cumulous clouds up here, through which the old ship is steadily flyingAll of ua are very cheery and making inroads on the provi.sibns. We have not seen the ground for many hours. I am making a certainty of our position. Everything is grand. Cheerio". At 1 a.m. a message state/1: We are 1100 feet up and passing County Harbour (Novia Scotia) ion our left. The weather is good, with a sky partly clouded. At 1200 feet we are setting dead a head a course for Lynn (Mass) over which we will circle once to say 'cheerio' ".. A garbled message received at 12. 86 p.m., now corrected, states: "The air speed ia now niney-five miles per hour. All are well, Suddenly we got Quite bumpy again". A message at ( 1.48 p.m. states: "We have just left the of Nova £)cotia and are crossing direct to

Lynn and on to New "Yjork. We exipect to arrive there about 7 daylight . saving). The weather is perfect, but 'still a slight haze reduces visibility. All are O.K. aboard the ship".

Halifax radio station wirelessed "The Southern Cross passed over station at noon, sending the following- message: It is beautiful country we are flying ibver, with lovely little lakes. We have seen all kinds of wild animals, too. At 11.50 a message was received stating that the weather was clear to Boston.

>. A message at 12.10 stated: '?We are pushing into the fog again. have jusf'passed Halifax". The (Southern Cross radioed her position at 3.10 p.m., New York summertime, as latitude 43.16 north longitude, 67.57 west, which is approximately 150 miles due east of Boston (Mass).

Biggest Problem EAST TO WEST CROSSING KINGSFORD SMITH'S STORY (Copyriglit in N.Z. by Australian Press Assn.; world's copyright by New York Times). / HARBOUB GPACE, June 25. Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith gives his own story, but he will give greater detail on his arrival at New York. He said: "The machine had no difficulty in rising'at PoU Marnoek (Ireland).. It lifted at once to 2500 feet and right from the start we had radio communication. The weather, until the coast of Newfoundland was reached, was bad. We experienced rain and bumps which were unpleasant with the heavily-loaded machine. Bather strong head-winds prevailed for 75 per cent, of the flight, but the aeropiane was held on a perfect course thanks to Waul, who nevertheless would have twen heipi ss on account of the overcast sky prohibiting observations were it not for the wonderful radio assistance given by btannage practically througuout the trip. Vhis is attributable to receiving radio bearings from ships, which in all modesty I claim to be one of the first radiu snows ever put up for air work. ; Flying Blind. i ''All went fairly well until we rcacned a point between 30 aud 35 degiocs Longitude, when we ran into blind stuff. From this on we scarcely savv the sky or sea. At about three o'clocit GAIT we were in a position 350 miles from Gape Baee and expected to reach there in four hours. To our consternation, however, a radio bearing showed that we had only made 120 mileb in the four hours, which even for a re duced ground speed was a ridiculously low figure. We found that owing to the inability to maintain a perfect course while flying blind, added to, I believe, by rapidity of changes in variation, caused -ne compass to swing unequally with the consequence that we evidently flew a most erratic course. This was borne out by the extraordinary differing radio bearings ws received from ships. I would like to stress this, as it seems to be a condition 'planes are likeiy to jaoet in this locality in the air. No blame is attributable to the instruments, and had this not occurred we probably would have made a point 700 miles nearer New York. We landed with 3A to ± gallons of petrol. An hour and aEalf before Harbour Grace was reached we knew the petrol was running short and we were keeping this for emergencies. "I particularly wish to tbank radio operators at all radio stations and aboard ships, especially the Transylvania, who were untiring in their efforts to assist us and to whose good officers we are deeply indebted." Kingsford Smith expresses sincere thanks to the New York Times for an offer to send a 'plane, which happily was not necessary; also to everybody Who sent congratulatory messages.

Trip Took 31 Hours. Tii.i trip occupied 31 hours from Dublin to Harbour Grace. "Wo are now putting 400 gallons of petrol on board, which will give us plcuty of 'radius to reach liouseveii. Field to-morrovv evening," said Smith. The aviator plans to leave at live it the morning, local time, and hopes to reach New York at 4 p.m. After a day's rest the 'plane will continue to Oakland, where the voyage ends. The aviator states that he think; Stannage is the best radio man he has had. Smith received many congratulatory messages from the most important pe 1 - spnages in Europe, America and Australia. He particularly prizes one from Mr Henry Ford. The opinion of the crew is that "the steamer Majestic is good enough to bring us home. To cross the Atlantic only once in a 'plane is enough/' , Smith stated that his experience in flying in Eastern and Southern countries was child's play to crossing the Atlantic. "The Atlantic crossing from east to west is the biggest prob lom facing flying men to-day," he said. "With the complete organisation which wo had it can be accomplished, but only with a multi-motored machine with proven engines and modern facilities."