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Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1928, Page 2

The Tasman lliglit will soon be very much in the public mind. This feat awaits accomplishment. The earlier attempt by Hood and MoncriefF ended in unexplained disaster. The general verdict was that the preparations were incomplete, but there still remains a lack of knowledge of the aerial conditions over the Tasman sea, and the voyagers now preparing must lay their plans with some preconceived ideas of what has to be encountered. Captain Kingsford Smith in the trans-Pacific lliglit proved that he was well prepared in advance, yet he encountered conditions not calculated upon. It is well therefore to have a good margin of power and arrange safeguards in advance to meet emergencies. There have been of course many great flights successfully accomplished, and these have instilled the public confidence in travel by air. But from time to time crashes occur and disaster ful'ows in instances * where money and foresight were available in advance to avoid catastrophe. However, the successful flight of the Southern Cross over the Pacific ocean, involving three long leaps, lias set the public mind at rest as to the ability of Kingsford Smith and his c-rew to achieve success in the lesser task of flying from Sydney to Christchurch. Nevertheless an unspanned stretch of water has to be crossed, and there is not any resting place by the way. There are always possibilities in these ventures, be the intrepid fliers whom they may, and there is the call for every care in the preparation for the flight. Two important, changes are to be made in the crew of the Southern Cross. The genial Americans —Lyons and Warner —have returned to the United States and their places will be taken by Litchfield and Williams. Li conjuction with Kingsford Smith and Ulm the quartette Inutile opportunity of recording another interesting page in aerial achievements. The (light accomplished they, will have a record and a knowledge of the intervening space'and something of the conditions possible of experience. It is known that heavy storms prevail over the waters to be crossed, but the conditions in the air on such occasions are as yet unknown. The aeroplane is coming into greater and wider use. Australia already makes practical use of it for across-tlie-con-tinent mails, similar to the United States. In Europe, too, the services across the English ■Channel and to various points of the continent are also of daily occurrence. The commercial use of the aeroplane to link Australia and New Zealand will take some time to. arrive hut its eventual possibility with suitable machines, is undoubted. Now come the pioneers on the initial lliglit across the waste of waters to prove the trip actually possible. And then there is the return voyage! Probably they will flv hack to Australia in the start of a still greater flying feat to other remote parts of the world.