"SPIRIT OF CALIFORNIA."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19175, 5 December 1927, Page 9

"SPIRIT OF CALIFORNIA."

'PLANE HOPS OFF. ENDURANCE RECORD PLANNED. (BT CABLE—DRESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN AND K. 7.. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received December 4th, 5.5 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, December 3. Captaiu Kingsford Smith and Lieutenant George Pond, of the United States Navy, took off at 5.55 this morning in an attempt to put up an endurance record. Their 'piano has been renamed "Tho Spirit of California." It carried 141S gallons of potrol. The aviators intended to fly over Northern and Southern California, but if unfavourable weather conditions develop they will cruise in tho south over the Mojave Desert. The German airman, Edvard Kisticz, created the existing record of 52 hours 22 minutes 21 seconds in August last. The 'plane made a false start before actually hopping off. The tail skidded off the side of the board runway on the first attempt, but was stopped without accident, taken back, warmed up, and tooK the air without accident. After running some 2COO feet it made a perfect getaway, despite is tromendous load, and was in the air_ within thirtysix seconds after restarting. The weather was clear and flying conditions excellent.

CAPTAIN GILES'S FLIGHT,

UDSTBALIAN AND N.Z AND SUN CABLE) NEW TOEK, December 2. A message from Detroit states that Mr Eosewarne, backer of Captain Giles, declared that he had not received a recommendation that the flight bo postponed, but if Press reports wore correct his reaction would result in the entire abandonment of the project. He refused to comment further until Captain Giles's report had been received. ATTEMPT ABANDONED. (ATJSTBALIAIf AN3 *.Z- CABLI ABSOCIATIOH.I (Eeceived December 4th, 11.5 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, December 3. Captain Giles announces that he has abandoned any further' attempt to accomplish his Pacific flight because he is "run down and all in." He says that his Detroit backer, Rosewarne, will probably find another pilot. Captain Giles intends to take a long rest. MR CARBERRY'S ATTEMPT. (austhaliak and n.z. cable association.) TRIPOLI, December 2. Mr John Carberry has arrived on his flight to Africa. [Mr John Carberry, by which name Lord Carbery chooses to be known since he became a naturalised American, departed from Croydon on November 19th, accompanied by a mechanic, on an attempt to fly to Cape Town in record time, via Cairo and Central Africa, thence to Kenya, where he is a large landowner. His home is in California, and he spends a lot of timo on his Kenya estato. Lady Carbery is also a qualified pilot]

'PLANE RETURNS. (AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. AND SUN CABLE.) SAN FRANCISCO, December 3. Captain Kingsford Smith returned and brought his 'plane to a safe landing. He immediately announced that he would make a second attempt at dawn to-morrow. The fliers had been only 139 minutes aloft when air currents over the sea and ffprtland Bay shook the heavily-loaded *?W so violently that the pilot experienced the greatest difficulty in controlling the machine and was compelled to dump 800 gallons of petrol forty miles out from Golden Gate. They sent radio messages before landing, saying that the tail of the 'plane was fluttering and the windshield sheltering the cockpit was "coming unstuck.