AVIATION

Hokitika Guardian, 4 September 1928, Page 2

AVIATION

TASMAN FLIGHT.

(Australian Press Association.) START AGAIN DELAYED. SYDNEY, Sept, 3. Tho Southern Cross will not attempt tho trans-Tasman flight to-day, and the outlook for to-morrow is doubtful.

WEATHER. CONDITIONS GENERALLY UNSETTLED. WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. The Government Meteorologist, 1 Mr Kidson, to-day advised the airmen that a cyclone centred in the northern Tasman Sea this morning, and was moving toward the northern part of Now Zealand, and conditions generally Were rather unsettled, especially in the northern Tasmao Sea. lie added: There, may have been a chance to get across to the south of the cyclone, but the airmen evidently decided it was not worth risking. He considered the airmen will probably await fairly settled conditions, which at this time of the. year are rather difficult, to obtain.

SMITH’S DECISION. TO AAV AIT SUITABLE AVEATHEII. SYDNEY, Sept. 3. After waiting all day on weather reports, Captain Kingsford Smith decided that the conditions wore such that it would ho unwise to attempt the Tasman flight to-nig]jt. AA'itli hurricane winds thrashing about the covirse to he followed by tile Southern Cross, the latter would he subjected unnecessarily to a severe buffeting, and common sense dictated a waiting policy.

Tho gale in the neighbourhood of Norfolk Island also made the outlook, from the aviators’ viewpoint, unsatisfactory. Captain Smith this evening ' says that they will start out at six o’clock to-morrow if'tho meteorological report is favourable. If not, they will wait from day to day, regardless of the moon, as they will hare daylight for the New Zealand land-flying and for tho arrival at Christchurch.

ROYAL AIR FORCE TOUR. AVELTEVREDEN, Sept. 3. The four Royal Air Force flying boats have arrived at Biinba.

POSSIBLY TO-NIGHT. • (Received this day at 9.30-a.ni). SYDNEY, Sept. 4. Weather permitting, the Southern Cross leaves to-night. Smith and Dim are staying at tho Officer’s Mess at Richmond, 37 miles from Sydney, ready to take off at a moment’s notice. Everything depends on the weather reports from New Zealand. The Defence Department here lias ordered the destroyer Anzac to sea to remain in the line of flight as ‘the cruiser Brisbane, returning from Honolulu, is too fur off. GREENLAND FLYERS. SIGNALS SEEN BY ESKIMOS. NEAY YORK, Sept. 3. News from' Mount Evans; Greenland, states that Pilots Bert Hassell and 'Parker Cramer, who had been believed to luivo been lost, with their plane'

“Greater Roeltford,” en route to Stockholm from Rockford, Illinois, have been discovered alive and well by members of the University of Michigan Greenland Expedition.

The fliers who had been driven from their course by a storm, were forced to descend on the Sukkertoppen ice arm on August liltli. Thereafter they set out afoot for civilisation, rationing each other to eight ounces of penimiean daily. By the merest coincidence, some Eskimos sighted a distress fire signal that was started by tho fliers, and they reported to the University expedition. Tile news was received exclusively by the “New A'ork Times” within two minutes of the rescue of the fliers.

ATLANTIC FLIGHT. _ LEVINE’S VENTURE. LONDON, Septf 2. Levine and Miss Mabel 801 l and tile airman Acosta are waiting at Le Bourget form, chance to start a flight to America. Levine says: “I will have to let Mabel go with Acosta, unless we get away on Monday. I must be in

America, on September 10th anyway. Tlio other two will simply await a favourable moment.” Levine adds: “I asked Lloyd’s to insure ..both the aeroplane and the party, hut the request was' refused. Then I reversed my proposition, and I offered to bet Llyod’s ten thousand pounds that tile plane - would 1 reach New York. Lloyd’s have not replied.”

FLIGHT TO ENGLAND. SYDNEY, Sept. 3. The aviator, Keith Anderson, iis leaving'Sydney early in an endeavour to fly to London m fourteen days, and thus beat Bert Hinkler’s record.. Anderson has had considerable experience on active service, and in England with the Royal Flying Corps. He is accompanied by Hitchcock as engineer and general assistant.

The story of Anderson’s flight to England lias Keen secured by the Australian Press Association, and he will despatch messages describing his progress from each landing place.

(Received this day at 9 a.m.) SYDNEY, September 4. As now announced, the date of the -departure is indefinitely postponed. FRENCH AIR TRAGEDY. [“ The Times ” Service.] LONDON, September 2. •The “ Times’s Paris corespondent states the entire Ministry, including Bokanmvski, journeyed to AT Poincare’s country house at Sampigny to celebrate the second anniversary of the Poincare Cabinet, also the Premier’s birthday. The Ministers left after lunch. Bokanoivski motored to Toni, intending to lly thence to Auvergne flying festival. Clermont, a colleague, advised him to use the road, hut he laughed at his fears as he had previously made many flights and was deeply interested in the progress of civil aviation which was a department in his -Ministry of Commerce. The machine was-fitted with a now engine and conducted a trial. When it started on its journey, observers fancied it iyse tardIv. An escorting pilot says the nachine swerved and dived and apparmtly engine trouble caused a "loss df ipeed. The remains of the occupants vere unrecognisable. Bokanoivski was (lentified by his watch, the mechanic i.v a lucky charm and the pilot by a lorn- key.