KINGSFORD SMITH STILL UP

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 256, 19 January 1928, Page 11

KINGSFORD SMITH STILL UP

ENDURANCE FLIGHT TEST ALL WELL AFTER THIRTY HOURS By Cable. —Press Association. — Copyright. CAPTAIN KINGSFORD SMITH and Lieutenant Pond, who are trying to break the world’s endurance flight record of 52 hours 33 minutes, had been about 30 hours in the air when the last message was received. They took off from the Mills Field, San Francisco, at 8.11 on Tuesday morning.

Reed. 9.5 a.m. SAN FRANCISCO, Wed. Captain Kingsford Smith’s plane passed over the lower section of San Francisco at 5.20, her motors working perfectly.—A. and N.Z. Received 9.10 a.m. The fliers sent a message at 7.2:

“Good morning'. We are flying in the neighbourhood of the Mills Field. The motors are making 1,400 revolutions to the minute. It is very cold. Our side curtains are broken, letting the wind sweep in on us.” Both fliers were warmly clad. The next message, at 9.30, said: “Our altitude is 600 feet, and our speed 57 miles an hour, revolutions 1,390 a minute. Everything O.K.” —A. and N.Z. Received 9.15 a.m. The Spirit of California, when 19 hours in the air, was flying in vicinity of San Jose. Captain Smith sent a radio: “Air calmer. Revolutions down to 1,490 a minute- Everything O.K.”—A. and N.Z. Received 9.25 a.m. The plane came safely through the greatest hazard, namely, the early hours of the morning, with her heavy load. The motors were still functioning perfectly after 24 hours, being throttled to the lowest possible speed as the morning wore on. The airmen sent a message: “All Well.”—A. and N.Z. Received 11.5 a.m. Shortly after noon the fliers wirelessed: “Plane functioning perfectly.” —A. and N.Z.