GILES HOPS OFF FOR NEW ZEALAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 209, 23 November 1927, Page 1

GILES HOPS OFF FOR NEW ZEALAND

FLIGHT FROM ’FRISCO

VESSELS TO REPORT PROGRESS TRIP COMMENCES IN FAIR WEATHER By Cable. —Press Association. — Copyright. Received 9.5 a.m. SAN FRANCISCO, Tuesday. THE Australian airman, Captain F. A. Giles, hopped off this morning in fair weather on his flight to New Zealand, via Honolulu, Samoa, Fiji, Brisbane and Sydney. The flight commenced at 7.24 a.m. Twenty ships scattered along the route have been requested to report progress.

TT is estimated that it will take 26 "*■ hours to complete the flight to Hawaii. The plane is named the Wanda, after Miss Wanda Hess, sister of the maker.

The Marine Department and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce received a message that Giles passed over the San Francisco lightship, 19 miles out at sea. 16 minutes after his departure, flying at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet. Giles spent the night at the flying field. The United States Weather Bureau issued a favourable report on the conditions, after which preparations were immediately made for the departure. Giles, long before dawn, was in the highest spirits. The sky was clear and a light wind was blowing when he left. The Wanda made a splendid takeoff, rising in the air after going down the runway about 1,500 feet, which, is a much shorter distance than in the previous attempt, despite the muddy runway. The plane gained elevation rapidly, travelled south for a short distance, and then swung round and followed the shore line toward the Golden Gate. Barely 100 persons were present at the field at the departure, this being due to the early hour. Giles carried four sandwiches, a pint of milk, and six quarts of water; also condensed army rations. He left his rubber liferaft behind to save weight, but took a lifejacket and hacksaws, with which to cut away the motor if he dropped in the sea. He is also able to empty the tanks in two minutes with emergency valves, after which it is believed that the plane would stay many hours afloat. Cap.tain Giles thanked the Mills Field officials before leaving tor the assistance rendered him. Captain Peterson stated that it Giles reached Honolulu safely, he would leave on the first boat. Giles will be out of touch until he reaches Honolulu. unless he is sighted by ships five of which are reported at present to be on the “great circle” route which Giles, will attempt to follow. These are the Manoa, Ventura, Orido, Tenyo Maru and President Garfield. Giles is expected to fly at a speed of from 95 to 100 miles an hour. He appeared jubilant before the take-off and showed no nervousness as he climbed into the cockpit and waved farewell to his friends gathered at the side of the runway. He flew without a helmet or goggles. He threw the helmet that Captain Peterson had brought for him out of the plane just before he started to move. He said he would fly at a moderately low altitude, unless he encountered bad weather, in which event he would try to climb above the storm. He carried with him a picture of Miss Wanda Hess, a sister of the plane designer. There are reports that Giles is engaged to Miss Hess, but Giles refused to comment on this.

Halt a dozen bulbs on the instrument boards will furnish lights during the night. He planned to fly low if he sighted a vessel on the trip, and drop a message on the deck.

Captain Voortrueyer, a member of the San Francisco Airport Commission,

prepared elaborate charts for Giles, showing approximately the positions of ships at sea, and the tifties Giles should meet them. —A. and N.Z.

The time taken to reach Honolulu by the American Army airmen, Lieutenants Maitland and Hegenberger, was 25 hours 49 minutes. . _ , _ . The winner of the tragic Dole Prize race to Honolulu, the Woolarpc, with Arthur Goebel as pilot and Lieutenant William Davis as navigator, took 26 hours 17 minutes. HINKLER’S FLIGHT LANDING IN POLAND “WE ARE DUTCHMEN”

Reed. 9.5 a.m. WARSAW, Tuesday. It is announced that Mr. Bert Hinkler and Captain R. M. Mclntosh thought they had landed in Russia, therefore they described themselves a s Dutchmen, which accounted for the absence of direct news. They were much relieved to find themselves on the Polish side of the frontier. —A. and N.Z.