MACHINE AND THE MEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 374, 7 June 1928, Page 9

MACHINE AND THE MEN

ULM TELLS GRAPHIC STORY PERILS AND THRILLS OF TRIP (Australian Press Association) SUVA, Wednesday. “The difference between an aviator and a parrot is that a parrot can talk, but not fly, and an aviator can fly and not talk,” said Lieutenant C, T. Ulm, replying to the welcome tendered to the flyers. But his story was a graphic one. He spoke of the criticism the flight had been subjected to. “We had the finest equipment that ever started out over the water,” continued Mr. Ulm. “We have had a partial success but we have not finished yet.” HUNT FOR A NAVIGATOR “Then I went to Captain MacMillan, head of the hydrographic department at San Francisco, and told him we wanted a navigator to find the way. He telephoned saying he had a wild man down there, just the man for us. He told us to come down, as he wanted to tell us a few things about him. “We went down and met Captain Henry Lyon, my good friend. Mr. Ulm then mentioned that Captain MacMillan considered Captain Lyon was America’s highest authority on navigation, and his recommendation would be accepted anywhere. Captain MacMillan introduced Captain Lyon, saying: “This is Harry. He has lots of faults, two or three teeth missing, but he Is a good navigator. We met Harry and summed him up. He has a humorous sense and lives on his job. Te could take us far.” Mr. Ulm made the point that the recent flight was the longest nonstop flight over the water ever made. If they ever made another long non-stop flight, and please God they would, they would look for Captain Lyon to lead the way. MAN TO “PUSH THE KEY” They then wanted a wireless operator, a man who would “push the key” while the engines were roaring and not one used to sitting at home. Ten or twelve were examined. They had three or four of them under examination when a telephone call came from Captain Lyon. He said he had a shipmate named Warner with him. They told him it would be best to bring him along. They never believed Harry in anything he said. “We met Jim Warner at dinner four nights before we left on the flight, and we questioned and engaged him,” said Mr. Ulm. “Jim had long and meritorious service in the United States Navy and with the Allies in the war.” “We were satisfied the old seadog Lyon could find the way and that Warren could tell the world, if we came down, where to find us. “We made a radio test next day. This was the first time Warren had been on a flight. We had a test flight of about five hours to Los Angeles and back. That ten hours or so of experience in the air was all Warner had had before the main flight. We would have been ‘very cold meat’ but for Jim. “Imagine our 660 horse-power motors in the small cabin of the plane. He was deafened by the roar of motors while he was trying to send and receive radio messages 100 per cent, efficient over 4,000 to 5,000 miles. Jim Warner possesses no mean skill and is full of courage. “Getting back to the old sea-dog again, the night before last in midPacific, the fates were not with us. We struck bad weather on the job. Intricate directions were taken from the hands of the navigator, but it was wild flying, and we were getting to the stage when we might just go mad. PILOT A SKILLED DODGER “Smith was more skilled in dodging storm-clouds and turning at right angles when he was flying at 100 miles an hour.