PARIS TO U.S.A. AIR ROUTE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1929, Page 9

PARIS TO U.S.A. AIR ROUTE

DIFFICULTIES OF FLIERS COSTES TO TRY YET AGAIN SOUTHERN CROSS FLIGHTS By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian Press Association. Received July 16, 7 p.m. United Service. - Paris, July 16. The opinion that an east to west trans-Atlantic flight is almost impossible is expressed by Captain Costes, who with Lieut. Belloutes was forced to return after passing the Azores. Captain Costes describes the dramatic moment when he and his companion took counsel in mid-ocean concerning tho chances and decided to turn back after 15 hours of flying. They discovered after leaving the coast that their actual progress in face of the strong air currents was only three-quarters of that on which the flight had been calculated and that while fuel consumption increased the speed decreased. Captain Costes declares that in order to fly from Paris to New York & plane must have wind and weather conditions such as are almost exceptional. Crossing will not be achieved with any practical us© until floating islands afford a ciiance of re-fuelling.

Despite this gloomy view, however, Captain Costes announces his intention ol making another attempt.

KINGSFORD SMITH’S INTENTIONS. TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT SOON. Received July 16, 7.15 p.m, New York, July 15. The Wright Aeronautical Corporation has announced the receipt of messages from Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith indicating that he,and Flight-Lieutenant Ulm are not discouraged by the recent failures of attempted trans-Atlantic crossings and would probably endeavour to fly in the Southern Cross from London to New York within the next few days. The aviators asked if the corporation deemed it advisable to fly to New York and thence to Oakland (California) with the same motors they used when they left Oakland for Sydney last year. The' accomplishment of this feat with the original equipment would be a new exploit in the history of aviation. Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith will fly to Amsterdam in the Southern Cross on July 19.