AIRMEN ARE ALL READY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 246, 7 January 1928, Page 1

AIRMEN ARE ALL READY

Flight Across the Tasman

PRUDENT PREPARATION MADE By Cable. —Press Association. — Copyright. Received 10.40 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. THE New Zealand airmen, in the event of having to come down at . sea, in their Tasman flight, carry with them a rubber raft which can be inflated from a bottle of compressed air in a few minutes. Wireless messages in Morse will be transmitted during the flight at frequent intervals on a wave-length of 33.1 and 33.5 metres.

airmen and other visitors have inspected the machine since its arrival at the Richmond airdrome, and have expressed much admiration. The fliers, Captains Ivan Kight and G. Hood and Lieutenant J. R. Moncrleff, have completed all their preparations for the flight. They are only awaiting favourable weather conditions in order to make a start. They say they realise the element of risk in crossing over 1,450 miles of sea, in what is a pioneer flight, even under the most auspicious circumstances, and they are determined not to take any foolhardy risks. They are hopeful of getting away early on Sunday morning, but will only start then if the weather is perfect for flying. They will be leaving early in the morning so as to utilise the maximum amount of daylight. It has not yet been decided whether Captain Kight or Captain Hood will accompany Lieutenant Monerieff on the flight. The two pilots to make the attempt will take turns at the controls, and for two hour spells each will have control of the plane while the other rests.

Whether the machine will make direct for Wellington will not be decided until half way across the Tasman Sea, when bearings will be taken and the course set for either Wellington or Greymouth, the proposed alternative landing place. The machine has been put through every possible test and the airmen are confident that it will prove equal to what it is required to do. Captain Kight strongly lays stress on the point that he wishes the public, both in New Zealand and Australia, to understand that there, is nothing whatever in the way of a “stunt” or the gaining of personal benefit about the flight. He said that at much personal inconvenience and financial risk, as they had received very small public support, the journey was being undertaken with the object of creating a deeper interest in aerial defence in the Pacific zone, and to draw into closer relationship the people of New Zealand and Australia.—A. and N.Z. NOT BEFORE MONDAY START OF THE FLIGHT Press Association. DANNEVIRKE, To-day. Mr. A. McNicol, trustee of the Tasman Flight Fund, has received the following cable from Lieutenant Monerieff, leader of the expedition: “Definitely not leaving on Sunday. Any time after that, weather permitting.” FLAGS WILL BE FLOWN

COMMENCEMENT OF TRIP P.O. ANNOUNCEMENT Press Association. WELINGTON, To-day. The Secretary of the General Post Office announces that arrangements have been made to fly flags at the principal post offices in the Dominion on receipt of news that the aviators have left Sydney. Should the flight commence oa

Sunday morning, or if for any reason it is postponed till Monday morning, or a later date, the same action will be taken on the date of the flight. The Department has also arranged for certain of its officers on the west coast of both islands to report quickly to Wellington should the aviators he sighted during their approach to the Dominion.

LANDING PLACE GREYA*a)UTH probable Mr. Henry HaVward, of Auckland, a member of the syndicate financing the flight, has received word that the airmen will problibly land at Greymouth. CONQUEST OF THE AIR ROMANTIC STORY TOLD BOLD ACHIEVEMENTS The greatest victory over time and distance since the evolution of the steam engine, it is generally agreed, was made by the Wright brothers— Orville and Wilbur, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in December, 1903, when they made their first flights in a power-driven airplane. Their first flight, made on December 17, lasted only 12sec; the fourth lasted 59 seconds, and the distance travelled was 852 feet. Other outstanding aviation events since then were: September 26. 1905.—Orville Wright’s flight of 11.12 miles in 18min 9sec, at Dayton, Ohio. April 12, 1907.—The British War Minister declined to enter into negotiations with “any manufacturer of airplanes.” July 25, 1909.—Bleriot made the first crossing of the English Channel by airplane. April 16, 1912.—Miss Harriet Quimby, of England, is the first woman to fly the English Channel. April 15, 1913. —Dancourt made the first successful flight from Paris to Berlin, 674 miles. December 13, 1918-January 16, 1919. A Handley-Page airplane was flown from London to Calcutta, approximately 6,500 miles. May IS, 1919.—Hawker and Grieve attempted transatlantic flight. After flying approximately 1,200 miles, engine

trouble forced them to alight near a pass- 1 ing steamer. May 16-31, 1919.—Lieut.-Commander Read, in the flying-boat N-C4, successfully completed the first transatlantic flight, from Newfoundland to Portugal, by way of the Azores. June 14, 1919.—Alcock and Brown, British airmen, complete the first nonstop transatlantic flight, from Newfoundland to Ireland, in 15 hours 57 minutes. July 6, 1919.—The R 34, a British dirigible, successfully completed the first lighter-than-air non-stop crossing of the Atlantic, from England to New York City. November 12-December 10, 1919.—Captain Ross Smith flew from London to Australia, approximately 11,500 miles. July 15-August 24, 1920.—Squadron of four de Haviland army planes flew from New York City to Nome, Alaska, approximately 5,000 miles, in 55 hours’ actual flying time. June 23, 1923.—Lieutenant Maughan flew from New York to San Francisco, 2,540 miles, In 21 hours 485 minutes elapsed time. May 9, 1926. —Commander Richard Byrd flew from Spitzbergeri to the North Pole and back in approximately 15 hours, in a Fokker 'plane. He was accompanied by Floyd Bennett. May 11-14, 1926.—The Amundsen-Ells-worth-Nobile expedition. October 28-29, 1926. —Coste and Rignot. France, made a record non-stop flight from Paris to Djask, 3,313 miles. May 20-21, 1927.—Charles A. Lindbergh made a non-stop flight from New York to France, 3,610 miles, in approximately 331 hours. June 3-4, 1927.—Clarence D. Chamberlin, carrying a passenger, made a nonstop flight from New York to Eisteben, Germany, 3,905 miles. June 29-30, 1927.—-Commander Richard Byrd, with three companions, made nonstop flight New York to France. June 29, 1927.—Lieutenants Lester Maitland and Albert Hegenberger (America) flew from Oakland, California, to Hawaii. August 16, 2927.—Arthur Goebel and Lieutenant Will Davis won the Dole Prize race from California to Hawaii. August 27-28, 1927.—William Brock and

Edward Schlee (America) flew from Detroit to Croydon.