AIRMEN WARNED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 228, 26 September 1928, Page 9

AIRMEN WARNED.

RETURN FLIGHT TO SYDNEY.

HEAD-WIND ALMOST CERTAIN.

"VERY BAD TIME OF YEAR."

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

BLENHEIM, Tuesday.

Prior to his departure for Christchurch this afternoon, Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith received a letter from Dr. E. Kidson, director of the Government Meteorological Office, in reference to weather conditions likely to be encountered on the return flight across the Tasman Sea to Australia. Dr. Kidson says:— "It does not seem to have been sufficiently realised that the conditions under which you crossed, though not the worst that might be encountered, were unusually bad. The important fact results, therefore, that with machines properly designed for the purpose the flight can be made under commercial conditions in almost all weathers. With regard to the return journey, this time of the year is, as you know, a very bad one for the westward flight. What you want, of course, in order to get favourable or light winds and fair weather all the way across, is a large anti-cyclone over central or southern Tasman Sea. At inis time of the year you are not likely to get one a month. Anti-cyclones are now nearly all centred far north and move fast. The wedges they send down into the Tasman are usually narrow. Average Head Wind, 15 m.p.h.

"Therefore you are almost certain to have an average head wind over the whole trip of fair strength. Flying west you will be travelling through 2000 miles of weather, because the pressure system will advance eastward a big distance during the flight. Consequently, you are pretty sure to be in part of a depression at some stage. You would be lucky, therefore, if your average head wind was less than 15 miles per hour. It might be 20 or 25 if you strike a bad patch.

"Coming over you could scarcely have had less than 30 miles per hour behind you, and there is a danger that you might get caught similarly on the way back. For instance, if you strike 40 miles per hour over a 500-miles stretch you would lose nearly 4J hours, with an air speed of 90 miles per hour. "Valuable Information."

"I agree with what the Prime Minister said in advising you not to take unnecessary risks. Therefore, unless distinctly good conditions occur, it might be well to abandon the return flight, °r, if you are not making good progress and reports received during the flight are adverse, it might be wise to turn back. The best we will be able to do for you probably will be to chance a time when an anti-cyclone is just coming on to Eastern Australia, so that you will fly through it on your way."

Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith said the letter contained a grfeat deal of valuable information and the advice given by Dr. Kidson would be extremely useful when they were deciding on the course to be followed on leaving New Zealand for Australia. °