SKILL AND ENDURANCE

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1928, Page 9

SKILL AND ENDURANCE

WHAT THE FLIGHT MEANT TEST OF MEN AND MACHINE ORDEAL OF VIOLENT STORM (By “Reserve Pilot” in Auckland Herald.) The heroism shown in the great Pacific flight requires no enlarging upon. People old and young throughout the world are filled with admiration for the daring of the intrepid craw, but few have -my conception of the amount of prepa;at>sn, Hie cue and attention to details, and the unceasing vigilance which have together made the flight a success that has resounded throughout the world. Columns would be required to do just: e to all those points, but t>vo tilings stand out--the navigation and piloting. Navigation has always been more ot less a mystery to the average man. He knows that the sun and the stars and a sextant are essentials, but he is usually filled with admiration for the ability of the sea-captain who plots his exact position in the midst of the rolling Pacific with land hundreds of miles away. It can be understood that the navigation of an aeroplane produces many more problems. The great speed of the aeroplane and the extent to which it is affected by winds introduce difficulties which, even in these years of enlightenment, are not easily solved. The mariner, by his charts, knows to a very small fraction the set of currents, and, calculating according to his engine speed, he is able to keep to dead reckoning with accuracy. In the air, however, it is different. It is impossible to chart the currents, and allowance for drift due to them must be obtained by the navigator by direct observation on the surface of the ocean. The definite position of the aeroplane is found by measuring the angle that the sun or a selected star makes with the horizon at specified mean-time. Of course directional-wireless is depended on very largely now, but wireless may fail for many reasons.

HOURS OF NERVOUS TENSION. The Southern Cross experienced one failure in the middle of a raging storm at night and there at once came the close co-operation of pilot and navigator. During “blind” flying in the storm, the wireless generator went out of action and immediately the navigator would require to order either altitude to rise clear of the storm clouds or descent to ride under them in order to take observations for bearings. Perhaps from this, a little of the achievement of the Southern Cross’ navigator may be realised. Hours of ceaseless nervous tension have been required and the success of the venture is very largely due to him. Piloting in the same way necessitated unremitting care. To control a large aeroplane over such distances calls for expert hands—and the Southern Cross had them. In the first place the pilots had the arranging of the details of supplies. They had to test in every way the efficiency of their three-engined Fokker. With tanks fully loaded and crew and equipment on board, it requli es a nice degree of judgment to launch the machine into the air. The longest lap of the Pacific flight was from Honolulu to Suva, but it was on the last and shortest stretch that the main piloting difficulties arose. For 12 hours of it driving rain, wind and hailstorms tried out endurance and skill. Mr. Ulm has described bumps of up to 400 ft. Imagine it. The aeroplane with its precious crew is literally driving through the elements. Darkness hangs black and heavy and warning a "pocket” is met, Down smashes tho plane, propeller slashing without resistance until the “pocket” is depthed and the big plane is caught up with a staggering rush to tumble still hi erazy fashion until the steady hands on the controls ease it once more to an even keel.

NICETY OF MANOEUVRING. To meet such an experience once would be unnerving to the average man, yet the pilots of the Southern Cross had to meet it many times. Experienced pilots are usually glad to land after two hours cross country flying when “bumps” of 40, 50 or even 100 ft. have been experienced. Judge then of the ability and the courage of the men who held on for 12 hours under the worst possible "bump” conditions. Judge, too, of the nicety of manoeuvring required to bring a. huge machine such as the Fokker back to its even keel after a “spin” of 1000 ft. To bring a small machine out of a sudden, and unexpected spin is a job which gives a pilot some anxious moments and it requires a great deal of 1 skitful handling. A large three-eiigined machine could only be brought through Friday night’s storm by men whose brains and hands were more than ordinarily skilled. The Pacific flight, therefore, stands out as a magnifictiit accomplishment. Nothing was left to chance. Captain Kingsford Smith and Mr. Ulm have proved their own ability. Every airman throughout the world will pay tribute to them. Gaptain Lyon, the navigator, has accomplished a marvellous work and Mr. J. Warner, the wireless operator, should be accorded praise in the same measure. In conclusion, tne flight shows the undoubted benefits of the triple-engined machine. Confidence in the machine and its ability to stay aloft in the worst conditions must have riven the aviators just that extra feelin’ of dash which enabled them to surmount the difficulties of exeeptinnaKy bad atmospheric conditions.

KINGSFORD-SMITH’S REPLY. ■■THIS IS A WONDERFUL DAY.” Bv Telegraph, —Press Association. Auckland, June 11. Bv radio from 2BL, Sydney, on Sunday" night, Captain Kingsford-Smith thanked his unseen audience for the welcome they had given him and his companions. “This is a wonderful day, he said; “the most wonderful day in my life. You all know what it is to have ambitions, to cherish them for years until it seems they ean be nothing more than dreams; then suddenly to have them fulfilled. For eight years I have cherished the ambition to fly tire Pacific: to-day

it is realised. It is with heartfelt gratitude that I thank you for the way m which you have welcomed me home. I am particularly happy to be able to speak to you from station 2BL. '*l understand that many of you, listening in to the station, followed us last night as we came through the storms from Suva and, after last night, I ean assure you I am glad to be here. We had a bad time and struck the worst weather of the whole trip, but we had confidence m one another, and Confidence in our machine, and we won through. I cannot describe my feelings when from the sky I saw Australia again. Once again I can only say that I am very happy and very thankful. “My comrades, Australian and American, join with me in expressing thanks and greetings to the people of Australia. We have been given a wonderful recepition. All I can say is that if we have done anything to place Australia more prominently on the map, and if we have brought Australian flying before the world, then I am well repaid.” k AMERICA HONOURS THE CREW. “INDICATION OF APPRECIATION.” By Telegraph —Press Assn— Copyright. Received June 11, 5.5 p.m. New York, June 19In emulation of the example set by Australia in raising funds on behalf of Captain Kingsford-Smith and Lieutenant Uim, the Hearst newspapers have opened a subscription list for Mr. Warner and Captain Lyons with 5000 dollars, a contribution which is regarded as “an indication to the navigator and radioman in some slight measure of the esteem in which they are held.”

CAPTAIN SMITH’S CAREER. DECORATION FOR WAR WORK. "BOLD AND VALUABLE SERVICE.” Captain Charles Edward KingsfordSmith was born at Brisbane on February 9, 1897, and was educated at Sydney. He entered the service of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, Limited, in 1913. He enlisted in February, 1915, and, as a sapper in a signal company of the Australian Engineers, served on Gallipoli for three months prior to the evacuation. From March, 1916, he saw considerable service in France as a despatchrider with the rank of sergeant. In May, 1917, he received a -commission in the Royal Flying Corps and took part in much fighting in the air during the remainder of that year, and was promoted lieutenant. He was awarded the Military Cross for "bold and valuable service” at Ypres on an occasion when he was attacked by three hostile machines, and although severely wounded succeeded in regaining the British lines with important information. < The airman was subsequently appointed an acting-flying commander in the Royal Air Force, and was employed in England on instructional duty. Captain Kingsford-Smith’s brother is in the Roval Australian Navy, and was on board' H.M.A.S. Sydney when the German raider Emden was defeated at Cocos Island,