FLIERS' GOAL IN SIGHT

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1929, Page 13

FLIERS' GOAL IN SIGHT

SOUTHERN CROSS RECORD EARLY ARRIVAL AT CROYDON I COMPLETING LAST STAGE By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian, Press Association. Received July 11, 12.36 a.m. United Service. London, July 10. ‘ The Southern Cross is expected at • Croydon at 2.40 this afternoon in com- > pletion of its flight from Australia com- , meneed on June 25. It will thus beat ’ Mr. Bert Hinkler’s record flight of l»i ! days from England to Australia. ! When he was over Paris SquadronLeader C. E. Kingsford Smith wirelessed i that all was well and he’ expected to I reach London at 3 p.m. He was over Lyons after 10 o’clock. At noon he wirelessed the Air Ministry: “We are now heading up tlirough France; fine and clear here.” The monoplane arrived at Rome from Athens at 2.35 p.m. yesterday and left at 4.55 a.m. to-day for London. In an interview at Rome SquadronLeader Kingsford. Smith said he was de- : lighted to find the Southern Cross was two days ahead of the fastest time for the Australia to England flight. “We are tired but we are fit, and I would do it all over again if it were necessary, but if I had to repeat the trip I would use a lighter machine,” he said. “Tho Southern Cross is extremely heavy when fully -loaded, weighing more than six and a half tons. The majority of taki g off grounds, if wet or sandy, will not carry that weight. We struck a bamboo pole at Calcutta, which was placed there by some stupid native, when we were leaving.” The monoplane’s crew is: SquadronLeader Kingsford Smith, Flight-Lieuten-ant C. T. P. Lum (co-pilots), Mr. H. A. Litchfield (navigator) and Mr. T. H. McWilliams (wireless operator). The details of the flight are: — Juno 25. —Left Richmond, Sydney, for Derby, Western Australia, about 2100 miles. June 26.—Arrived at Derby after flight of 22 hours 5 minutes. Juno 27.—Left Derby for Singapore, about 2020 miles. June 28.—Arrived at Singapore. Juno 29.—Left Singapore and landed at Singora, about 458 miles. June 30.—Arrived at Rangoon, Burma, from Singc-ra, about 690 miles. July 2.—Left Rangoon and arrived at Calcutta, about 660 miles. July 3.—Flew from Calcutta to Allahabad. j u ]y 4.—Left Allahabad 11.55 a.m. for Karachi. Arrived Karachi 4 p.m. July 6. —Left Karachi ".55 a.m. for Bunder Abbas, approximately 700 miles. July 7—Arrived at Basra from Bunder Abbas and later at Bagdad, a total distance ol about 80 miles. July 8. —-Arrived Athens 7 p.m. July 9. —Arrived Rome 2.35 p.m. July 10.—Left Rome dawn for Croydon; due 2.40 p.m.