Two More Dare Atlantic By Air

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 37, 6 May 1927, Page 1

Two More Dare Atlantic By Air

6 * Only Sporting Events 9 9 BLERIOT WANTS OCEAN STATIONS Captain Saint Romain has lelt Africa on his transatlantic flight and Captain Nungesser will leave on Monday. In an intervew. M. Louis Berliot, the famous French pioneering aviator, said that the flights had no commercial value at present, being no more than sporting events.

1 ' u i i ,. —rress Association. Copyright Reed. 10 a.m. LONDON, Thursday. Captain Saint Romain has left the African coast on a transatlantic flight to Brazil.

A wireless message received later stated that far out to sea he was going well.

He does not carry the official sanction of the French Air Ministry because he removed the machine's floats. On the other hand the Franco-Latin Association which made itself responsible for the flight declares that it has every confidence in him. Captain Romain declared before starting that he had entire confidence in the machine without floats.

Mechanic Mathis, who accompanied him from Marseilles, withdrew because he regarded it as dangerous. He was replaced by another. Captain Nungesser expects to start on Monday.

M. Louis Bleriot, in an interview, said that the transatlantic flight could only be commercially practicable by establishing three or four midocean stations where machines can land to replenish their fuel. "Aviation had not advanced to a stage to make these crossings more than sporting events; The distance and weather were not obstacles, but the transatlantic flights must be preceded by numerous trials militating against commercial usefulness. Fuel crowds out passengers and goods stations would have to form a horseshoe where the plane could be protected. “A second way would be to have large, powerful airplanes flying at a great height, but these would he most expensive at £IOO,OOO each.”—A. and N.Z.

M. Louis Bleriot, a gifted French engineer and aviator, won the "Daily Mail” prize of £I,OOO in 1909 awarded to the first man to fly across the English Channel.