THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 1928 THE PACIFIC FLIGHT

Wairarapa Age, 7 June 1928, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 1928 THE PACIFIC FLIGHT

The flight in which Captain Kingsford Smith and his companions have thus far reached Suva on their way from San Francisco to Australia already stands out as a very impressive achievement of its kind. It is true that these bold venturers have not in detail established any new record. Greater sea distances,, and much greater land and sea distances, have been covered by aeroplanes than were covered by the -Southern Cross in its journey of well over three thousand miles from Barking Sands to Suva. Daring as it is, too, the Pacific flight does not in this respect surpass many others. It is not without reason, however, that the present flight has awakened almost unprecedented interest, particularly in those countries that face the Pacific.

In a number of ways, the journey of the Southern Cross is a most instructive object lesson. To the degree of reliability indicated in the safe passage of a land aeroplane over thousands ef miles of ocean, there is added a most convincing demonstration of the extent to which methods of aerial navigation have been perfected. Apart from their own equipment of navigating instruments, the aviators of the Southern Cross were able at every stage of their long voyage to Suva to obtain accurate guidance from the radio beacon. This device has already been developed to such a degree that it seems likely in future to become by far the most important means of enabling aircraft to follow a known course from point to point. Assuming only a continuance of mechanical and other developments that are constantly being recorded, the voyage of the Southern Cross brings definitely into prospect conditions in which aerial transport will rival and perhaps dominate all other means of long-distance transport. Wo-are bordering on an epoch in which distances which can now be traversed only in weeks will be traversed as a matter of routine in as many days. The prospect opened is perhaps not one to be regarded with unalloyed pleasure. The virtual annihilation of distance which must be expected to result from the development and extension of aviation services will bring nations into far nearer and more intimate contact, and will abolish some privileges of isolation we and others enjoy to-day. Individual and community life in the conditions that are opening no doubt will be stimulating and well filled with varied interest. Probably, however, it will also present problems in many categories in a much more imperative and perplexing aspect than, they wear to-day.