SOUTHERN CROSS FLIGHT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18610, 4 July 1930, Page 9

SOUTHERN CROSS FLIGHT.

Bound For Pacific Coast. PLANS OF LEADER. United Press Association—By Electric Tel egraph—Copyright NEW YORK, July 2. A Roosevelt Field message states that the Southern Cross took off at 7.5 a.m. to-day for Chicago, en route to the Pacific. The fliers will leave Chicago on Thursday for Salt Lake City, continuing on Friday to Oakland. Wing-Commander Kingsford-Smith said he had planned to sell the Southern Cross, and expects to return East in a fortnight and sail for England, thence home. PROGRESS OF FLIGHT. LANDING AT CHICAGO. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright NEW YORK, July 2. A Chicago message states that the Southern Cross landed at Curtiss Reynolds’ field at 5 p.m., after flying to Sky Harbour to salute Messrs Hunter Brothers, who are setting a world record for refuelling endurance flying. FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA. PROGRESS OF MATTHEWS AND HOOK. United Press Association—By Electrlo Telegraph—Copyrl ght DELHI, July 2. Hook and Matthews arrived at Akyab. KINGSFORD SMITH’S FLIGHT. MESSAGES OF THANKS. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received July 3, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 2. President Hoover and other officials have received messages from WingCommander Kingsford Smith and his companions, thanking them for the welcome message. To President" Hoover Kingsford Smith stated: "As we fly over the Alleghanies, towards your own California, Mr President, in our gallant old Fokker, the Southern Cross, may we take the advantage of radio which saved us in the fogs over the Grand Banks, to express our deep appreciation, which we feel of the honour you have conferred upon us, in receiving us at Washington. May we British, Irish and Dutch, take this means of conveying to you our high regard and respect.” Landing at Chicago. Wing-Commander Kingsford Smith after crossing Chicago city to visit the endurance ’plane “City of Chicago,' which had just passed 506 hours in the air, and greeting the wearied fliers with a quick dip and a double circle, returned from Sky Harbour, escorted by a group of ’planes. He landed at 5.15 p.m. at the Curtis airport, before a group of notables and officials. Story of Flight. Wing-Commander Kingsford Smith in his own story says: “There is not much to say about the trip from New York to Chicago. We are all sorry to leave New York, without looking into more aviation activities. There was heavy fog at the beginning of our trip. We saw little of Pennsylvania and Alleghanies, but enough to realise that the night mail fliers have a job. The clouds lay like blankets over the mountains. Now and again we got a glimpse of a farm, yellow with wheat. Once we came down through trying to fly under the stuff, but it did not go ahead. It was a ridge. I wanted to hop over it to get into the next valley, still under the clouds, but it did not work. As the old girl started to climb the ridge, she slid into the down draft. The more she climbed the lower she sank. We banked around and started again. It was like a horse refusing to jump. By air it is certainly the way to visit Chicago. We looked for the endurance ’plane. The Hunter family is certainly doing a bit for aviation. We pulled alongside and gave them a cheerio. One of the boys climbed out, and she did not appear so badly off.”