THE PACIFIC FLIGHT

Hutt News, Volume 1, Issue 5, 21 June 1928, Page 2

THE PACIFIC FLIGHT

ARBIVAL AT SUVA BY A LrOWEB HUTT RESIDENT WHO WITNESSED IT. The following letter was received from a Lower Hutt resident, who is at present residing at Suva. The letter was dated, June' 7th, 1928 "... We saw the arrival of the "intrepid four," Kings-ford Smith and Ulm (co-pilots), L»yon, the navigator; and Warner, the wireless operator, who till the day before the hop-off from San Francisco to, Honolulu, had never been in an aeroplane and then only for a four hours' testing flight. Fortunately the day was fine for their arrival here, and everything was prepared for them as far as possible. Trees on the waterfront had been chopped down, and in Albert Park, too —no mean sacrifice, either, for the trees here axe beautiful. Even a telegraph pole had been taken down as the authorities feared it might interfere with tho landing which was timed for one o'clock. Long before this tho roads all round the park wore thronged ■with people—black, white, yellow^ and brown —all agog to catch the first sight of- the planes. Time dragged on and it was not till three or thereabouts that it became clear that the flight had really been accomplished. The crowd was keyed up with nervous excitement, for wireless messages^ of shortage of petrol had come through early in the day. The first indication of the arrival was given by tho birds which flew rin frightened flocks across the park. People craned their necks, but for a few minutes, that seemed like hours, not a sound or sight of the plane could be heard or seen. Then, suddenly, somewhere in the crowd, a native shrieked—white men in his vincity began to cheer, and to throw up thiex arms and hats in excitement. Still the greater nuinbe'r could not see the plane, but gradually as she came nearer and others ""sighted her, the excitement and the cheering grew in intensity till it seemed that Suva itself was shrieking out its joy and congratulations, and its relief at the safety of the brave quaTtette. Without a sound the great plane hovered .overhead, circled once round the Park, her blue- body and silver, wings glistening in the sunlight, the name "Southern Cross" showing up plainly. Then with a graceful gliding swoop she entered the Park, still at high, speed, and a few moments saw her at a standstill on terra fimia. Not one, I venture to say, of that immense crowd but felt he had, himself, flown from Honolulu. No sooner had the plane come to rest than Ulm stepped out, staggeringly. He Kvas followed quickly by Kingston Smith, Lyon and Warren. All appeared worn out, their shoulders sagging and their bodies bent, their steps straying. One could read utter weariness, in all their actions, trim said afterwards that they were awar» people spoke to them but they heard nothing; they did not know if they had answered the questions (put to them. The whizzing of the engines had deafened them temporarily. There was a great rush, af course, to shake these men by the hands, but a strong cordon of native police and a strong Tope encircling the aeroplane and manned by hefty citizens of Suva ensured a clear space round the plane. One1 can imagine the feelings of the flyers on making land in the face of great difficulties —shortage of petrol, very stormy weather with adverse winds, lost bearings, and engine trouble. To us all it was la thrill. What must it have been for them? No -wonder that the first thing they did on alighting was to embrace and kiss one another, and not one of us thought the less of them for that little I involuntary display of emotion. Dazedly they made their way to the waiting cars and drove to the Grand Pacific Hotel where food and sleep awaited them. The natives could not tear themselves away from the aeroplane. They were there in hundreds. At sunset, which here means at dark, they were still there, in somewhat smaller numbers, at midnight, for here was something they could not understand; No doubt they expected the giant bird of the airways to Hy off in the night. As for Kingsford Smith and his friends, they are the pioneers of a great -air route. Their achievement is typical of the pluck and staying power of men of British blood, be they from the new lands or the old."