THE LAST HOP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20167, 8 June 1928, Page 7

THE LAST HOP

Tide .’revents Fliers Leaving Until To-day LANDING PETROL SUPPLIES SUT.T DELAYS OPERATIONS Telegraph—Per Assn.—Copyright ] I [ Australian Press Assn. I Received June 7, 10 p.m. SUVA, June 7. wing to delay in filling the fuel tanks at Naselai beach, caused by the bad surf, Captain Kingsford Smith’s ’plane, which was scheduled to hop off on the last lap of cho great trans-Pacific flight, about 4 p.m., was hauled up above the high water mark and made safe for the night. Captain Smith anticipates taking off at about 2 p.m. on Friday. Suva time. The ’plane is now loaded and ready to leave.

The airmen expect to arrive at Brisbane 18 hours after starting. Th 3 'plane is taking letters from the Government of Fiji. the Mryor of Suva, and copies of the Fiji Times and Herald describing the flight. The ’plane left Suva for Naselai at 11.4 this morning. It took off beautifully, and had r. great send-off from a large crowd of all classes of people, including the Mayor.

Captain Smith and Lieut. Ulm left with the 'plane, and Mr Lyon and Mr Warner will poin it at 2%aselai. N?t even condensed water was taken aboard here.

The machine taxied about 440 yards and lifted over Victoria Parade and at about 200 ft. altitude it proceeded rexward, circled twice with perfect turn?, and alter a thi ' <<“«-!e s-teered for

“Good-bye. cried Captain Smith as they is morning. Captain S-> : ’.ted the Boys' Grammar Scho.d and addressed the boys, who were highly lelightcd and cheered turn.

The 'plane before it was able to land at Naselai, returned and encircled Suva. It finally landed safely at noon. The delay was caused by th-J tide.

When the 'plane was coming over Suva crossing the island if Taveuni in the Fiji group north-east of Suva, tha aviators saw a gathering of Fijian* seated on the ground. They saw the huge bird in the air and were evident ly frightened that the devil was ap pearing ami made for the bush. One hundred and fifty feet of cinema film were taken of the alnding at Suva.

At a civic reception given in the Town Hall Captain Smith was absent aviator could fly but could not talk.” tant by watex. The aviators were welcomed by the Governor and Mayor. Lieut. Ulm replied, using “Smithy’s” stock opening remark that the difference between an '’.viator and a parrot was that a parrot could talk but could not fly, while the aviator could fly butc ould not talk.” “Thanks for the wonderful .eceptiom” he said. “It is the first since we started and we are not used to ir, yet.” They had been criticised on all points because others who had gone out had been drowned, but they believed that they had the finest equipment that had ever started out over the water. They had had partial success, but it was unfinished yet.

Their original plans had been for an all-Australasian crew. Captain Smith and himself were Australians <nd rue others had been New Zealanders, but they could not keep them whilst waiting final arrangements end they went back. “Finally we were in a bad way” said Lieut. Ulm. 44 Then we went to Captain MacMillan head of the Hydrographic Department at San Francisco and told him that we wanted a navigator to find the way. He said he had two or three to look over, but he said they were not goo I

enough in his opinion. 'Then he 'phoned, ‘1 have got a wild man down here, just the man. for. yog. Come down; I want to tell you a few things about him. We went down and met Captain Henry Lyons, my good friend.”

Lieut. Ulm here mentioned that Captain MacMillan considered that America was the highest authority on navigation and the Department’s re commendation was accepted anywhere. Continuing Lieut. Ulm said that Captain MacMillan introduced Captain Lyons saying. “This is Harry. He has lots of faults, has two o* three teeth missing, but is a good navigator.” They met Harry and summed him tip. Harry was one who had the hmpoious sense and lived on the job. Having been fixed up with a navlga tor they wanted a radio man who would push the key whilst the engines were roaring, and one not used to eating at home. Ten or twelve were examined and they had three or four under examination when a telephone call was received from Lyons* Ho said he had a shipmate named Warner with him. He was told to bring him along. 44 We never believed Harry- in anything,” said Lieut. Ulm. 44 We met Jim Warren at dinner four nights hcfor leaving c-n the flight and we questioned ami cngag< I Hm. Jim has had long and meritoricus service m the i .S. Navy and with the Allies in the war, and we were satisfied that an old sea dog could find the way snd Warner couM toll if we came down where the world would find us. We made a radio test the next day. It was the first time that Warner had been on a flight, :.nd we had a flight of five hours to Lor Angele*, taking six hours to return. Eleven hours experienced in the air was ail that Warner had had before + he main fly. We would have been very cold meat but for Jim. Imagine the deafening roar of the 660 horse-power motors in the ’plane’s small cabin a * an

operator trying to send and receive radio messages with 100 per cent.

efficiency over distances of 4000 5000 miles. Jim Warner posses? mean skill. Although the flight of the Southern Cross is the longest oWirsea air journey on record from point to point, the actual distance flown by Captain Smith and his companions has been ex cccdcd in other non-stop flights. The most notable examples are the flight by Colonel Charles Lindbergh, from New York to Paris, in May, 1927, a distance of 3639 miles, and that of Messrs Chamberlain and Levine, who flew from New York to Padenborn, in Germany, about 3923 miles, in June 1927.

The first airmen to fly from California to Hawaii were Lieutenant L. J. Maitland and A. H. Hegcnberger, of the United States Army, who reached Hawaii on June 29, 1927, 2400 miles in 25 hours 43 minutes. In September. 1925, an American flying boat started on the flight, but was forced down the crew being rescued. In August last year six ’planes left Oakland to compete for the Dole prizes of £5OOO, offered by a wealthy pineapple planter of Honolulu, for the flight to Honolulu. The winner was Mr A. Goelcl. The Miss Doran with Messrs J. A. Pedlar and V. R. Knope and Miss Mildred Doran on board, and the Golden Eagle., with Messrs Jack Frost and Gordon Scott, were lost, and no traces of them were found.

The first controlled flight in a motored ’plane was of 850 feet, by the American, Orville Wright, on December 17, 1903. The French airman, Louis Blcriot, first crossed the English Channel, on July 25, 1909, 26 miles in 37 minutes, and the first non-stop Atlantic crosing, from St. Johns, Newfoundland, to Ireland, was made on April 27-28, 1919, by Sir John Alcock and Sir Arthur Whitten Brown, were knighted for their success.