AVIATION

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1928, Page 2

AVIATION

11 ATT ERA'S WELCOME TO-DAY. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) lIA WEB A, September 17. A big assembly representative of all parts of Taranaki is expected at Hawera racecourse at noon to-morrow to receive the Tasman fliers, Kingsford Smith, Him,' Litchfield, and McWilliams, who are to break their journey by air between Wellington and Auckland with tho two New Zealand' flying officers who are proceeding with the party, which is being conveyed in three Bristol fighters. They are expected to remain in Ilawera lor two hours, during which time they will ho accorded a civic reception and entertained at luncheon by the Mayor and Chairmen of local bodies representing the whole province. South Taranaki schools are being given a holiday, business premises are being closed for three and n-half hours, and special transport arrangements have been made to bring visitors from surrounding districts. It is believed this will be the only stop on the journey.

GOVERNMENT LUNCHEON. HUMOROUS SPEECHES. WELLINGTON, Sept. 17. The Government luncheon to the aviators was attended by some 180 guests, including many members of Parliament. The speeches were much oil the smile lines as those that have been so often reported already. Mr Coates, proposing the health of the guests of honour, gave a light, touch to the poceedings by referring to the foresight of the Minister of Finance who ill 1921 had an Act passed providing for applying customs laws and regulations to air ships. After dilating on the great achievements of the airmen, he ended up by presenting Commander Smith with a. film of the arrival of tho Southern Cross. Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, who endorsed Mr Coates’s remarks, added that if the aviators could only prolonged their stay to one of about two months, he would he delighted to have their assistance m helping him to cover the ground, which would he far faster than any of the trains. (Laughter.) Commander Smith, replying, paul a lihdi tribute to the men who had assisted them both in the Pacific and Tasman flights'. Part of the delay m Australia was caused by having to try out two new men, and they had come through the test with honours. They bad not flown to New Zealand with any hope of reward, hut in the interests of science. They regarded the generous gift the Government had made as a contribution to science, and it would he applied towards the propagation of sane and sound aviation. " Lieut. Him caused renewed merriment by turning to the Prime Minister and saying that if it would ho any help to him, they would he glad to, convey Mr Holland to Australia on their return. He then spoke of what they had learned by their several flights, and said one tiling was that to establish a regular service across the Tasman, they must have planes capable of vising to fifteen thousand foot., in order to avoid such storms as they had experienced hist week. They could see three different thunderstorms

ahead of them, and there was no escape, the. result•' being that,.after careful calculation, it was estimated that quite half a ton of ice had formed on the machine. This they could have avoided had they been able to rise above the disturbance.

R.S.A. BECEPTION. WELLINGTON, Sept. 17. At a large enthusiastic gathering of Returned Men to-day, Kingsford Smith, Ulm, Litchfield, and McWilliams were presented with gold badges, of honorary life membership of-the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association. The President of the Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association, Mr IV. Perry, as chairman, welcomed the airmen as fellow diggers, and mentioned that the Association was sending by the Southern Cross on the return flight to Sydney a cordial reply to Australian Soldiers’ greetings brought by Kingsford Smith. Mr Perry said the names of Smith, Dim, Litchfield, and McWilliams would live in history with those of Columbus Tasman, and Cook. He congratulated the airmen on awakening an air sense in New Zealand. The aviators were loudly cheered when replying. All ' thanked the R.S.A. for the great honour done them. Kingsford Smith expressed great pleasure at being amongst the diggers. He said: “The best Digger of the lot was the Prime Minister, who proved himself a true Digger because he gave us 2,000 quid ! ” ( THIS MORNING’S JOURNEY. WELLINGTON, Sept. 17. The airmen will leave Trentham at 10 a.m. to-morrow for Haweva, where they arrive about noon. They will leave Hawera about 2 p.m. Tor Auckland, and arrive there about four. On the journey they will fly over as many towns as possible without too much deviation. They will show themselves over Wanganui. They will visit Rotorua by ear from Auckland.

PLANES LEAVE TRENTHAM. WELLINGTON, Sept. 18. The planes took off at Trentham at eight minutes past ten, the three machines getting a perfect start. All were in the air within two minutes of one another.