THE TASMAN FLIGHT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3844, 13 September 1928, Page 3

THE TASMAN FLIGHT.

GRANT OF £2OOO TO FLIERS. The Government has decided to recognise the conquest of the Tasman Sea by aeroplane by making a grant of £2OOO to Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith and his companions. In addition, provision is to be made for the widows of the late Lieutenant Monerieff and Captain Hood. The conquest of the Tasman has brought home to all of us, said the Prime Minister, the wonderful possibilities of air travel, and if New Zealand wishes to do her part in encouraging efforts of this description, not with a view to the spectacular, but in regard to the possibilities of growth of trade and passenger services, the Government believe that the country will welcome a recognition of the flight. We have, therefore, decided to mai’k the occasion by making a grant of £2,000 to the flyers.’' STORY OF THE FLIGHT. A THRILLING NARRATIVE. Christchurch, Yesterday. “A little after 2 p.m. on Monday,” said Flight-Lieutenant Ulm, “we received word from Dr. Kidson, the New Zealand Meteorologist, through the Weather Bureau, Melbourne, that the weather report indicated very favourable conditions, with the exception of the first thirty or forty miles from Australia, and thereupon we decided to take off at 5 p.m. We placed flags on each side of the specially-prepared run--way at the Richmond aerodrome, and at 5.25 p.m. Sydney time, took off into a strong westerly wind. At 5.30 we had reached an altitude of 1800 feet, and sighted the Australian coast. We were then on an earth inductor compass course for a j)oint in the middle of Cook Strait. At. 5.42 w 7 e passed over the coast line, very slightly north of Dee Why. The air speed w T as 76 knots, and the altitude 3200 feet. Visibility was poor, so we commenced to climb. At 5.54 McWilliams reported that the short-wave radio set was out of action, and that he was trying to repair it. “At 7 p.m. we asked Mac to wireless the destroyer Anzac, asking them to show searchlights. The radio was still out of order at 7.10. Litchfield took draft sights on three water lights. The stars were out, but there w r as only a very poor horizon. At 7.45 the sky was very overcast on our port beam, but much clearer to starboard. SEVERE LIGHTNING STORM. “At 7.50 there were very high cloud banks ahead, and at 7.55 we approached what appeared to be a very severe ligthning storm, and from then on kept a close look-out for the Anzac. At 8.35 we tested our own searchlight, and found it 0.k., and at 8.45 out altitude was 5400 feet, and we were climbing more in an endeavour to get above the electric storms ahead. It was commencing to be very bumpy. At 10 p.m. the altitude was 8000 feet, and it looked as if we could pass over the storm ahead. Three separate lightning storms were plainly visible. It was not very bumpy, but very cold. Up till 10.10 p.m., when we were at 7000 feet, we had not experienced rain, but the flashes of lightning were blinding. At 10.15 we ran into heavy rain, and Smith again was blind-flying. The altitude was 6800 feet, and air speed 68 knotp. We were climbing. The lightning was so close and so severe that it showed circles of fire, covering the diameter of each of the three propellers. It was particularly bumpy, and reminded both Smithy and myself of our hop off from Suva to Brisbane. THE DARKEST HOUR.

“During the next hour we experienced .the Avorst stretch. We llew the Southern Cross at 6000 feet. Ice formed not only on the windshield, but on the undercarriagOj the engine bearer shafts, and on the Aving itself. At 11.20 the pilot tube Avhich controls the air speed indicator became choked Avith ice. This, of course, put our air speed indicator out of action. “Lots of rain was forced into our cockpit, and I do not think either of us has ever been so cold before. At 12.15 a.m., Ave appeared to be through the Avorst of it, and for a few minutes had neither rain nor light-

ning, so we glided down to 5500 feet. In this brief spell, we both a- « greed that these electric storms were even worse than the ones we had experienced on the Suva to Brisbane hop. ANOTHER SEVERE STORM. At 12.20 a.m. we ran into another very severe rain and lightning storm, and at times our ratc-of-climb meter was registering downward, and sometimes upward bumps, at the rate of 300 feet per minute. We climbed to 7000 feet. “The ice on the wings and on the windshields became thicker, and in very severe bumps we were eventually forced down to 2000 feet. We were both fearful that the electrical disturbance might affect our magnetos sufficiently to stop the operation of the motors. This last spell was of short duration, and at 12.30 the stars were peeping out again, but it was frightfully cold. “At 12.35 we sighted very big rain clouds immediately ahead, and at 12.40 we were again flying blind in the heavy rain and severe bumps. At l-~a.m. we were up again to 8000 feet, but our windshields were completely covered with thick ice, and it was bitterly cold in the cockpit. For the next twenty minutes we had another bout of blind flying in heavy rain, which drove us down to 6000 feet. “At 1.45 we were out of the rain, but only a, few stars were out.

Our altitude was 6000 feet, and no sooner did we wipe the ice off the windshields than they coated up again. We were both just chilled to Ihe bone. For the next hour and a half we experienced very bumpy weather and ran through several smaller rain storms. WEATHER IMPROVES. “At 3.30 the moon began to show up ahead of us. From 3.30 onwards the weather was fairly clear, and I relieved Smithy .at the controls practically all the time until we got to Christchurch, except for a few spells, as he had had to do practically the whole of the flying in the bad weather during the night. “From 3.30 onwards we had pretty fair visibility, but we were never able to get below 6400 feet on account of the particularly thick cloud banks beloAv. “At 5 o’clock, we saw what appeared to be two mountain caps covered with snow, protruding above the clouds far away on the starboard beam. EARLY MORNING VISIT TO WIELLINGTON. “At 5.20, the first time for hours, we were able to see through the clouds, then only a small opening was available to us, but Ave glided doAvn through it and found a very pretty harbour beloAv us. We cruised around for about five or ten minutes, and eventually located this place as the northern part of the South Island. At 5.45 o’clock Ave were in Cook Strait, and decided to call in, as Ave were early, and say ‘Good morning’ to Wellington. On our Avay through avc fIeAV at about 1000 feet over the city and suburbs of Wellington for ten minutes. At 5.55 we turned away from Wellington across Cook Strait and doAvn the East Coast of the South Island to Christchurch. We followed the coast line and experienced very bumpy AVeather, and it Avas still very cold at 3000 feet. GOAL IN SIGHT. “About 7.45 we Avere met by an escort of four NeAV Zealand Air Force ’planes, and at 7.50 a.m., Sydney time, we landed at the Wigram Aerodrome, to be greated by the most enthusiastic crowd we had yet met. TOTAL FLYING TIME. “The total flying time for the trip, the actual mileage of Avhich was 1660 miles, Avas 14 hours 25 minutes, Avhich averages out at about 110 miles per hour. This means that we had an aA r erage folloAving Avind throughout of about 28 miles per hour. MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL’S CONGRATULATION'S.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the-Ma-naAvatu County Council, the chairman (CivW. E. Barber) referred to the arrival of the “Southern Cross Avhich he described as an event in the lives of the citizens of the Dominion. The accomplishment of the flight across the Tasman opened up great possibilities and it Avas indeed a wonderful performance. He thought the occasion appropriate for the Council to offer its congratulations to the airmen. The Council agreed, and on the motion of the chairman, seconded by Cr. D. Wl Reid, it was decided to send the following wire to Lieut. Kingsford Smith: — “That this Council, on behalf of the settlers in the Manawatu County, offers its congratulations to Lieut. Kingsford Smith and his associates upon the distinguished success of their epoch-making flight aeross the Tasman from Sydney to Christchurch, and joins Avith the rest of NeAV Zealand in according the aA 7 iators an enthusiastic aa elcome.” FLIER'S TO VISIT CHIEF centres. RETURN FLIGHT BY DAYLIGHT. Christchurch, Last Night. Arrangements were completed this afternoon by Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith and Flight-Lieut-enant Ulm for the itinerary of the airmen’s tour of New Zealand. It Avas definitely decided that the Southern Cross Avould not be taken on the tour, but the airmen have accepted the GoA 7 ernment’s offer of the use of three aeroplanes. The flyers expressed a desire to see the four main centres and in addition, and other centres that is interested in aeronautics. The airmen are particularly keen to boost aviation and that is the reason they will spend a night in Blenheim during the northern tour, as an Aero Club has recently been formed there.

They propose to leave Christchurch on Friday next about 3 p.m. and travel to Blenheim, where they will spend the night. The following morning, they will arrive at Trentharn at approximately 10.30 o’clock, spend Sunday and Monday in Wellington and on Tuesday, will take their departure for Auckland, arriving in the afternoon. Wednesday will be spent in Auckland, and on Thursday, they will leave for Rotorua. The flyers will return to Auckland on Saturday, September 22. On the following day, they will leave Auckland and will arrive back at Sockburn on Monday, September 24.

It is anticipated that the party, on its return from the northern tour, will take the opportunity during the ensuing week of flying to Dunedin and if possible to Invercargill. They propose to take their departure for Sydney on Sunday, September 30, which da.y, the navigator (Mr. Litchfield), indicates, is the best, as the moon will then be at the full.

Captains Findlay and Buckley will act as escort on the tour of New iZealand. It will probably be arranged that Smith and Ulm will occupy one plane, Findlay and

Litchfield the second, and Buckley and Williams the third. With reference to the return flight across the Tasman, after consideration by the party to-day, it ac as announced it Avould probably be made in daylight. SquadronLeader Smith-Atated that even if they did not land in daylight at Richmond aerodrome, he had every confidence that the facilities there Avould enable him to make a night landing.