My Plans for a Non-stop World Flight.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18805, 6 July 1929, Page 19 (Supplement)

My Plans for a Non-stop World Flight.

By COLONEL ARTHUR C. GOEBEL. ( U.S . Air Force.)

r |TIE cost of my proposed non-stop refuelling flight around the world rill be in the neighbourhood of £60,000. . will use a Lockhead Vega ’plane with single Wasp engine. I hope in the air to be able to make he trip by refuelling once every went y-f our hours, preferably about loon. Arrangements will be made to ake on 600 gallons of petrol at each efuelling. It will be a long, nerve--racking trip, so I will take another jilot along with me. lie will probbly be an Army pilot who has had onsiderable experience in blind flying nd who is an expert in navigation nd radio. The ’plane will be equipped ith a compact, light, radio set. The route I expect to follow will start t Wichita. I will then fly over the Vreat Lakes, across Canada, over the .'orth Atlantic to Greenland and Iceind. I expect to reach Europe somerhere near the centre of the Norwegan coast line. From there my flight rill take me across Northern Europe, •iberia and the Behring Strait to \laska. Once having reached Nome ny flight will take a south-eastern ourse back to Wichita. Here are some sidelights on the ight. As yet it has progressed no arther than a paper study. No demite refuelling points have been selected nor is there any known ’plane vhich can transfer 600 gallons of petrol md the required oil every' 2000 or 2400 niles. It is obvious that much hard work, careful planning and many derails must be consummated before at-

tempts can be made to even start construction of the ’plane. I am very much interested in the reports coming from Paris, which indicate that a Fokicer ’plane will leave Paris on a refuelling non-stop flight around the world. Both expeditions hope to be able to start their ’planes next summer. Ac-, cordingly in a way it will be a nonstop race around the world. If either ’plane makes the trip successfully, the greatest feat ever accomplished in aviation will be history*. The routes selected are both marked by long stretches of bad flying terrain My route is about 2000 miles shorter than that selected by the French. On the other hand, it requires that I fly* over unbroken forest areas of Canada, frozen, barren, bleak northern Russia and Siberia, and the rugged mountains of Alaska. The French route crosses the desert area of south-west Asia, the tropical jungles of south-east Asia, and the unbroken mountain ranges of Alaska. In crossing the oceans, I have the advantage of the land of Greenland and Iceland. The French expect to make a non-stop flight around the world, finishing by making a dash straight across the Atlantic. I am aware of the many difficulties confronting me, but I have confidence in my flying ability, and I do not think that I will have any difficulty in securing a ’plane which will be equal to the almost impossible flight. (Anglo-American N.S. Copyright).