“NOT A STUNT”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 255, 18 January 1928, Page 13

“NOT A STUNT”

CAPTAIN RIGHT’S VIEWS ON FLIGHT AWAKENING OUR AIR SENSE (From Our Resident Reporter .) WELLINGTON, To-day. • A LOT of people think the flight was a stunt,” said Captain Kight, the comrade of the two missing Tasman fliers, in a special interview with THE SUN representative. “It was not a stum.” he continued. “It was something to bring New Zea- < land in the forefront of aviation and ; to link up the two British Dominions j

of Australia and New Zealand more closely. People in this country are rather sceptical about flying* and they look upon it as did the folks at Home when railways were introduced, when the first iron ship was built, and when motor-cars were invented. Flying is something new in New Zealand, but it is an everyday matter in older countries. “These two fellows, if they have ‘gone west/ have gone doing a very fine job and they probably died as fine a death as any man ever did. They would not regret the effort they have made if they knew they had done something to further the progress of flying. “If we can b’ring about a tri-weekly and reliable air service between here and Australia during the next ten or twenty years, think what a tremendous thing it will be for each country and for commerce.” v “I have absolutely no doubt of the efficiency of the machine, the efficiency of the engine, the efficiency of instruments, and that the men were efficient All had been pased by the Royal Australian Air Force, and we had everything quite O.K. • The only question of any inefficiency whatever was raised by a Sydney paper.” Questioned regarding the report over the oiling, Captain Kight said that the oil tanks had been filled too high, and the scavenger pump forced a little oil out over the screens. It was only through the tank being over-filled, the oil forcing out of the air vent. About two pints of oil were taken out, and there was not the slightest possibility of this incident having caused any engine trouble during the flight. “The wireless set was not efficient,” confessed Captain Kight, “it was a very expensive set, and we were taken down by it. The set would not work at first, but it was altered and tested on the ground. There was no time to test it in the air, as it was not finished until late on Monday night shortly before the flight started. We were told we might be a month before we had another such suitable day, and we thought that even if the wireless was working it would not get us there. It looks as if they ran into wind or into air pockets.” Captain Kight spent some time with Mrs. Moncrieff and Mrs. Hood, Mr. McCrorie and others closely concerned with the flight.