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Hokitika Guardian, 19 September 1928, Page 2

It was a happy thought of Mr Jeffries at the Progress League meeting on Monday night to suggest, an invitation

to the aviators now the ’’lions” of every centre they visit. It is evident that S'luadron-Leader Kingsford Smith and his ro-commander Flight-Lieut. Ulm -are really great men. They are born aviators after the type of Colonel Lindberg. In each case they are modest and bear themselves like gentlemen. Their speeches are in excellent tone and they convey the impression of their greatness in their manner and methods. They live for aviation and have carried themselves through all their adventures like heroes. Yet they say with all modesty they are not heroes. But they claim the proud title of pioneers and to that they are entitled surely. It was a -great feat to cross from the United States to Australia, and some idea of the three “hops” in which the journey was staged, compared with the Tasman flight may be gleaned from the following table of distances and travel time: Time

Miles. H. M. Oakland to Honolulu ... 2420 27* 25 Honolulu to Suva 3290 34 50 Suva to Brisbane ... ... 1881 21 14

Trans-Pacific flight ... 7591 83 20 Sydney to -Christchurch 1660 14 25 In distance and time the flight to New Zealand was much the shortest, but it was the roughest trip of the whole tour, despite the fact that the last stage oi the Pacific flight had its bumps too. The long distances covered by the four oversea journeys and the success which marked the aerial voyages, on entirely new routes, marks the aviators as outstanding men for their task. It will be a great honor to meet- these folk who are accompanied by two companions no less modest in their turn in regard to the important part they are playing in this history-making tour. These -flights open a now page in the history of aviation in the SouthernHemisphere, and undoubtedly the flights will bo pioneer efforts to those which are to follow after. The care and the method used in assuring safety on those venturesome journeys are to ho commended, though actually it is hut a trait of the character of the men carrying them on from success to success. It is to be-hoped the visit a-nd tour of the district will he possible. In -regard to the future aerial connection between Australia and New Zealand it would be well for those pioneers to learn first-hand something of the physical features of a coast line which is more direct for portions of Australia than other parts. In the future, the possibility of lauding here as a regular feature is not remote, and if encouraged by those with expert knowledge every effort would be made to prepare for the - permanent advent of the overseas aeroplane.