THE TASMAN FLIGHT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3744, 21 January 1928, Page 2

THE TASMAN FLIGHT.

“DEATH OH GLORY.” AUSTRALIAN EXPERT’S VIEWS. “It is to be death or glory £or the New Zealanders,” said an expert ait Richmond aerodrome two or thre nights before Lieutenant Moncrieff and Captain Hood left on their ill-fated flight. “They are , taking a tremendous risk in entrusting their lives to an engine that is almost a new one, that has not demonstrated its ability to travel the distance. A new engine has its ad- , vantages, but to me it is always an uncertain quantity. If the engine does its duty as it should, and as I think it will, and if the flyers make , no error in direction, they will accomplish a wonderful feat. “But,” the expert added quietly, ,“if anything goes wrong it is the end. A spin, a crash and then the waves tumbling everywhere, with uo sign of the secret they have covered in a second. There will be no chance to launch a rubber boat. “It is death or glory,” the airman concluded, “but with either there will be fame for two brave New' Zealanders.” “LIVES THROWN AWIAY.” AN AVIATOR’S' OPINION. ■ ■Discussing the disappearance of Lieutenant Moncrieff and Captain Hood, Major Norman Brearley, managing director of West Australian Airways, Ltd., said last Thursday that tlie flight was useless from the start, and it was a pity that the lives of such men should be thrown , away. The machine used was unsuitable, he said, as it was of the type built for land work. Major Brearley said be regretted that endurance flights,- which was all that the flight amounted, to, could not be carried out over laud instead of sea routes. Endurance flights, in his opinion, tended to lessen the value of civil aviation, becausC* civil aviation and endurance flying were very often coiifused by the public. 1 NOT SHORT OF FUNDS. STATEMENT DENIED- BY CAPTAIN KNIGHT. Dannevirko, January 19. 'Captain I. Knight, on his return to D'annevirke, takes strong exception to statements in Australian newspapers that the New Zealand airmen were under any financial embarrassment in Australia. A number of the statements published, ho says, are quite untrue.

Messrs A. McNicol and R. J. MacDonald, trustees of the Might Fund, state that at no time did they receive word that the iiien needed money in Australia, and as far as can be seen at present, the fund is capable of meeting all expenses in connection with it.

, Captain Knight further states that the only reason why. the flight was made at the particular time was because the weather report was favourable, and the airmen decided to take advantage of it. FURTHER, SMOKE SIGNALS. Mr. Phillips, forest ranger, sent in a further report that what might be smoke signals bad again been seen by him in the ranges in the Kirikiri-Snowy River area. Smoke signals are also supposed to have been seen by some one at Featherston, and it appears that the two sets of signals coincide. The General ‘Secretary of the Post and Telegraph reports receivijig a message from the postmaster at Featherston stating that 'Mr. Roberts, of Wakefield Street, Featherston, reports that he saw smoke signals itwiee at 9.15 p.m. yesterday in the form of small clouds which evaporated quickly. There were no clouds in the sky. He watched closely for 30 minutes, but saw no further signs. .The smoko was far back. Mr. Roberts is a reliable man who understands bush country and smoke signals.

•In connection with (these Mr. Vosseller has seiff two men out to investigate.