ATLANTIC FLIGHTS FAIL

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1929, Page 9

ATLANTIC FLIGHTS FAIL

POLISH AVIATOR KILLED TWO FRENCHMEN TURN BACK HEAD WINDS TOO STRONG By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian Press Association. London, July 14. The Polish aviators’ attempt to fly across the Atlantic ended disastrously. Idzikowski and Kabuli set off at 4.45 and were sighted at nine in the morning in latitude 46.25 north, longitude 9.8 west, at a height of 800 feet. They failed to reach Horta, where a special landing place was lit up throughout the night. They were forced down at sea owing to engine trouble, near the island of Graciose. Idzikowski was killed, but Kubali was rescued. The machine was wrecked.

Two Frenchmen, Costes and Beloutes, started on a trans-Atlantic flight the same day. After passing north of the Azores they turned back and made an emergency landing at Villacoublay. Costes explains that strong head winds 300 miles from the coast reduced his speed from 125 miles to 40 or 50 miles an hour. He turned back for fear of running out of petrol in mid-ocean. He had not dreamt that the east to west crossing was so difficult. He would rather fly from New York to Paris ten times than once from Paris to New York.