SOUTHERN CROSS WINGING NORTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 699, 26 June 1929, Page 1

SOUTHERN CROSS WINGING NORTH

Long Flight Begins Again 2,000 MILE HOP TO DERBY FE Southern Cross hopped off at Sydney yesterday afternoon for Derby, on the first stage of her flight to England. “All well” messages came from her radio set at intervals, and all going well the monoplane should reach Derby this afternoon. (Australian and X.Z. Press Association)

Reed. 11 a.m. SYDNEY, Today. The Southern Cross, with 775 gallons of petrol on board, took off from Richmond for Derby on the first stage of the flight to England at 2.25 p.m. yesterday, by which time the wind had greatly moderated. Kingsford Smith expressed the opinion that they would cover the distance to Derby, 2,000 miles, in about 22 hours.

The big Fokker monoplane ran for half a mile before it rose into the air, and soon became a mere speck away in the north-western sky, which was cloudless.

A radio message from the Southern Cross late yesterday afternoon, picked up by Amalgamated Wireless, stated that the airplane was doing 85 knots in beautiful weather. The engines were running perfectly. The following messages from the airmen were received by radio: “7.17 p.m. It is bitterly cold up here, but the coffee is nice and hot and we are jogging along nicely. 7.40. —Bright starry night, cold, no moon yet, all going well. 8 p.m.—All going well. Latitude 29deg. 18min. S., longitude 144 deg. 25min. E. Speed 78 knots.” This last message placed the airplane at the north-west corner of NewSouth Wales, near the Queensland boundary, about 450 miles from Sydney.

The Southern Cross was still in the air and all was well at 10 p.m. A message from the monoplane timed 10.30 p.m. stated: “We are flying over a sandy desert, flying on dead reckoning. Our speed is 79 knots, and our altitude 3,000 feet.”

The Southern Cross is,* equipped with an .emergency transmitting wireless set weighing 191 b. The tests already made were satisfactory, and

the signals were heard in New Zealand.

The Commonwealth Weather Bureau yesterday issued the following reassuring weather report: The weather is quite favourable over the inland slopes of New South Wales, with very light north-west winds in Central Australia, then following winds to about 20 miles an hour to Kimberley. The skies are clear throughout. Among those present at the airdrome when the flight began was a group of the Young Australia League boys and school girls, who presented Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith with a sprig of lavender. The crowd was otherwise not large, owing to the uncertainty of the flyers’ departure.

A letter of introduction was taken from General Lloyd to the Prince of Wales, and also one to Mr. Sidney Webb, the Secretary of State for the Dominions.

“SPLENDID REPORT” McWilliams comments on AIR INQUIRY LITCHFIELD NOT INTERESTED Reed. 11 a.m. SYDNEY, Today. Mr. T. H. McWilliams, wireless operator of the Southern Cross, commenting, before the monoplane’s departure, on the report of the Air Inquiry Committee, says: “My congratulations on the splendid report dravrn up by those gentlemen. They proved extremely intelligent, and apparently know all about everything. Further than that, the report is not worthy of comment.’' Mr. H. A. Litchfield, the navigator, said: “I hardly bothered reading the report. It does not interest me what they say. I consider that it was a waste of good money holding the inquiry.” Mr. John Cantor, the Sydney publican who had to do with Lieutenant Keith Anderson's rescue flight, said: “The report does not exist as far as I am concerned.” Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith said the report was a complete vindication of the crew, but he regretted that their human faults had not been overlooked. Flight-Lieutenant C. T. P. Him informed the Press representatives that the crew was under no contract with any newspaper in the present attempt to fly to England. “Our last trouble started over a newspaper war, and we are not going to be led into another.” Ulm added that the libel action against the “Daily Guardian” was definitely going on, hut the business of the court was so congested that it could not be reached before December. This flight was being undertaken as ; their own private business.