SOUTHERN CROSS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1929, Page 5

SOUTHERN CROSS

ENQUIRY CONTINUED. ; Australian Press Association) (United Service.) (Received this day at 1.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 21. At the Air Inquiry, Ulm said: “In all our flights we made a definite policy never to fix a starting date, for the reason that this long distance flying is not ordinary flying. We were ready to go to New Zealand ten days before we actually did. Quite a lot of pqpple said we were frightened to tackle it. Moreover, if we had got Chateau’s last telegram before starting for Wyndham we should never have started.” Ulm explained how the Southern Cross aerial wa-s lost shortly after the flight from Richmond. A thin strip of wood had been used to mend a broken mica window-pane. When lowered the window itself cleared the aerial catch, but when LitelU'eld pushed the window d-wn to take a sight, the wooden patch fouled the catch and released it. and the aerial disappeared. Hammond—Well the gentleman who broke that window is responsible for this enquiry. Ulm—l do not think that. Hammond—Well, what’s the use of carrying an aerial ,at all. $ Ulm—To enable us to receive messages from where we could receive them when near a station. Witness described certain innuendos about tlie forced landing as deliberate, despicable lies, adding: “I’d like to get some of those newspapermen out there a while.”

Ulm declared the party were setting out on a flight again as soon as they were released from the enquiry.