FOURTEEN HOURS’ FLIGHT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 456, 11 September 1928, Page 1

FOURTEEN HOURS’ FLIGHT

Darkness, Lightning and Rain Outridden SURPRISE ARRIVAL SHORTLY AFTER 9 O’CLOCK

LEAVING Sydney yesterday afternoon at 5.41 Australian time (7.1 1 p.m. New Zealand time), the Southern Cross flew on through the darkness into the dawn. Before 8 o’clock New Zealand had beenil sighted by the airmen, and a message from the plane had been picked up in Auckland saying that W J§ they had had a pretty rough time and were wet through. After circling over Wellington, the plane turned South* Five Bristol fighters left Wigram to greet the Southern Cross, which was sighted by Christchurch people shortly after 9 o’clock. A few minutes later the plane swept down the field and made a perfect landing at 9.23. The flight of 1,1 70 miles had been completed in 1 4 hours 1 2 minutes, an average speed of 81.4 m.p.h. Several rainstorms and lightning were encountered during the night. Radio communication was kept up throughout the greater part of the flight, but the messages were at times erratic, and there was an ominous silence from about 1 1 o’clock until after midnight. The unexpected early arrival of the plane took Canterbury by surprise, but the news of the approach of the plane had been heralded by radio and there was a large and rapidly gathering crowd at the airdrome when the plane landed.