SOUTHERN CROSS RETURNS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18615, 10 July 1930, Page 9

SOUTHERN CROSS RETURNS.

World Encircling FlightConcludes. PRESENTATION TO ORIGINAL BACKER. United Press Association—By Electric Tel egraph—Copyright (Received July 9, 7.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 8. A message from Santa Maria states that after presenting the Southern Cross to Captain Allen Hancock (backer of the trans-Pacific flight), Wing-Commander Kingsford Smith flew to San Simeon in California for a holiday. The return flight on Wednesday will end the ’plane’s career. Ten thousand persons greeted the Southern Cross on arrival at Santa Maria, from San Francisco. RECORD OF SOUTHERN CROSS. HISTORY MAKING FLIGHTS. Wing-Commander Kingsford Smith has made several record-breaking flights in the Southern Cross. He Is an officer of the Australian Air Force and was bom near Brisbane, Queensland. He first came into prominence in June, 1928. Setting off from San Francisco with Flight-Lieutenanf C. T. P. Ulm, Captain H. W. Lyon, navigator, and Mr James Warner, a wireless operator, he flew 2400 miles to Honolulu in 275 hours. » On the next stage of 3200 miles to Suva, Fiji, the longest flight yet made over the ocean, the airmen encountered a terrific hurricane, but the island was reached in 34i hours. The third lap of 1700 miles to Brisbane was completed in 21! hours. This achievement was regarded as the greatest in the history of aviation and above all as a triumph of navigating skill on the part of Captain Lyon. Radio communication was maintained throughout the flight of 7300 miles accomplished in 835 hours actual flying. Smith had started £6OOO in debt, but Mr Allen Hancock, a:i American, who had advanced £6OOO on the security of the aeroplane, cancelled the bill of sale in recognition of the airmen’s feat. They also received gifts totalling £IO.OOO. The Air Force Cross was conferred on Smith and Ulm. On September 9 they made the first flight across the Tasman Sea from Sydney to Wellington, New Zealand, 1400 miles, in about 12 hours, and on October 14-15 recrossed the sea to Sydney, taking nearly 23 hours owing to head winds. Their next plan was a flight in the Southern Cross from Australia to England, and on March 30, 1929, they left Sydney for Wyndham, Western Australia, 1860 miles, but were forced to land 150 miles from that place owing to petrol shortage. Their wireless gave out and for nearly a fortnight they were missing. Aeroplanes were sent out to search and one of these, the Canberra, found them, but another made a forced landing in a desert and the pilot. Lieutenant Keith Anderson, and his mechanic, Mr R. S. Hitchcock, died of starvation.

The attempt which had begun so disastrously was resumed on June 27, 1929, and ended triumphantly, the aviators making a record trip from Derby, Western Australia, to Croydon in 12 days 21hrs. 18min., thus beating Hinkler’s time by 25 days. On that occasion Mr H. A. Litchfield was navigator and Mr T. H. McWilliams, of New Zealand was wireless operator. Smith and Ulm formed a company entitled Australian National Airways, Ltd. In May, 1930, Smith announced that he proposed to attempt a flight from England across the Atlantic, with San Francisco as his goal. This feat he has now accomplished in company with Messrs van Dyk,-co-pilot; P. Saul, navigator; and J. W. S. Stannage, wireless operator.