ACROSS AMERICA

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1929, Page 3

ACROSS AMERICA

100 MILES AN HOUR BY AIR NEW ZEALANDER DESCRIBES GREAT EXPERIENCE. BLENHEIM, Jan. 3. Letters received by the current mail from Mr H. R. Dix (president of the Marlborough Aero Club), who is at tending the International Civil Aeronautical Conference at Washington as representative of the Marlborough, Auckland, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay and Mid-Canterbury Aero Clubs, give some idea of his wonderful experience in flying right across the American continent as the gue.it of the American Government.. Accompanied by Colonel Brinsmead and Captain Hughes, the two delegates from Australia, and Captain Barlow, the representative of the Canterbury Aero Club, Mr Dix reached San Francisco aboard the R.M.S. Ventura at 0 o’clock on the morning of December oth. The party had been advised by radio to be ready to leave the ship as soon as she reached the quarantine station, and they were naturally i on the qui vivo. Under special instructions from the United Slates Go- j v&rnment, they were rushed through | the usual medical inspection, and all lie- j ing given a clean bill of health, they took their places in a launch sent specially to accommodate them. Envious fellow-passengers assembled at the gangway, giving them a rousing sendoff.

By launch, the party proceeded direct to the Crissy flying field, where there was awaiting their convenience a monster Fokker air liner, fitted with three Wasp motors, each developing 150 h.p. and giving the machine a cruising speed of 100 miles per hour. She had accommodation for eight passengers, but was placed at the sole disposal of the party so that they were enabled to take their baggage with them. The ’plane was fitted up luxuriously with all sorts of conveniences, including wash basins and drinking fountains, and as smoking was permitted. the passengers had an enjoyable time sitting in their richly unhol.stered chairs while tho continent unreeled itself beneath them. They took off at 10.45 a.m. and flow at between 7000 and 12,000 feet, tbe big machine rushing smoothilv through the air, and bumps being unncticeable. Mr Dix was spellbound at the wonderful scenery, but does not attempt to describe it in bis letters, reserving that for a more propitious

occasion. At 5 p.m. Ran Francisco time, thr machine landed at Elko field, in tlm .suburbs of Salt Lake City, and tlr travellers remained there all night and most of the next day, four motor-cars being placed, at tlieir disposal by the Government, and the loading citizens vicing with one another to show them the sights. At 4.45 on the afternoon of the 7th. the delegates again emTinrked. this: tinv* in two Boeing two-seater air liners, the Australians occupying one machine, while the New Zealander lay hack in the other. The route lay over mountains from 6000 to 8030 feet in height. About an hour after their departure darkness fell, but Mr Dix says that the night flying was both fascinating and safe, the route across the mountains being marked by electric beacons every few miles. Cheyenne was readied at 7.30 p.m. the distance of 417 miles having been covered in under three hours.

At Chcvcnnc the travellers found .that a great Ford tri-engined machine had boon set specially to meet them and to this leviathan of the air they transfered next morning, taking off at live minutes to seven. Four hours and ten minutes later they landed at Omaha, after a spin of 470 miles, and here they were entertained at a public luncheon, in which the Rotarians took a prominent part. After luncheon they took off at 1.29 p.m. for Chicago, and reached that city in flic darkness at 5.25 p.m. Mr Dix says that circling over the light-spangled city in the darkness gave him an unforgettable thrill, and the perfect landing on’tlic flood-lighted aerodrome, fifteen miles from the city, was also a wonderful experience. The actual (lying time from San Francisco to Chicago was 17. V hours. From Chicago Air Dix was to fly to Washington, Kitty Hawk and other places of interest.

T:i his letters he gives particulars of some of tho famous American flying fields. As‘an instance, the municipal air port of Oakland is described with photographs. Tt c-vers an area of 840 acres, and is located on a peninsular bordered on the south by Ban Francisco Bay. and on the mirth by San Leandro Bay. and is six miles and a half from Oakland post office and eleven miles by water from San Francisco. A speedboat channel lias lmoii dredged, giving direct access between the air port and the harbour, and paved roads connect the air port and the State highway system. The width of tlie developed area of the aerodrome is 1800 feet at its narrowest end and 2.500 feet at tho other end. Tho length is 5000 feet, but there is also provided a 7020 feet runway used by the Pacific fivers. There are four huge hangars with a total storage snare of 9(5,000 square feet, and in addition there is the administrative building, a handsome structure 122 feet long and -12 feet wide. There are located the weather bureau, public telephone, ticket office, passengers’ waiting rooms, emergency hospital, pilots’ sleeping quarters, press room, and comfort stations for both sexes. The air traffic figures for tho field will give New Zealanders some idea of J the tremendous growth of aviation in J the Un't'-’d (states. During the first j nine months of 1928 there were 51. I 152 landings recorded at Oakland

field, iuul the passengers carried total led 32.3/57, while GBSB student flight wore made.