Challenge to Pacific

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 367, 30 May 1928, Page 9

Challenge to Pacific

PLANE ALMOST READY Frisco-Brisbane Flight (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian Press Association) Reed. 12.46 p.m. OAKLAND, Tuesday. M ■' U A NIGS are still working on Captain Kingstord , s plane, and expect to finish this afternoon, when Captain Smith and Lieutenant C. T. Ulm plan to make a short test flight. The repair men have been grooming the plane to the last possible finish. The flight to Australia, via Hawaii and Fiji, starts on Thursday.

A mechanic has been sleeping with it to ward off souvenir-hunting sightseers. The runway has been rolled to the smoothest surface. The airport authorities anticipate no delays to the start of the flight from ground conditions. Captain Smith will attempt to lower Lieutenant Lester Maitland’s OaklandHonolulu speed record, which is believed to be possible, since Lieutenant Maitland slowed the plane and awaited daylight when arriving at Hawaii last year. Captain Smith plans to reach Honolulu, whence he will be ferried to Barking Sands, on the island of Kauai. From there he will take off for Suva. If he finds a strong tail wind here Captain Smith said he might proceed direct to Brisbane, without stopping at Fiji. Otherwise he will refuel at Suva. The plane carries a short-wave radio sending set, operating on 33 metres, also a 600-metre portable emergency

set, which, is waterproof and is provided with kite antennae for hoisting should the plane be forced into the sea and the flyers be compelled to launch the rubber boats. One receiving set will be carried from the Golden Gate to Honolulu. The flyers will have the benefit of the army radio beacons at Presidio, San Francisco, and on Oahu, after which their sole dependence on finding Fiji will be their navigating ability, and three compasses. The flyers remained late at their hotel to-day. Field attendants said that they were resting, on the possibility that they might take-off tomorrow on account of the favourableness of the weather conditions. On June 24 last year the United States Government authorised the Army airmen’s flight to Honolulu. On June 2S Lieutenants Maitland and Hegenberger left Oakland, California, at 7 a.m. in a three-motored Pokker monoplane. They were escorted for some miles by 10 Army planes. They landed at Honolulu at 6.30 a.m. on June 29. The exact time taken was 2o hours 49 minutes.