RIVALS OF ATLANTIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 948, 15 April 1930, Page 9

RIVALS OF ATLANTIC

COSTES AND “SMITHY'' MAKE PLANS FIRST WESTWARD FLIGHT United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyrigh: Reed. 9.5 a.m. NEW YORK, Mon. It is announced that private information has been receiVed from London indicating that Kingsford Smith, in the reconditioned airplane Southern Cross, will attempt to anticipate Costes’s announced intention to fly across the Atlantic from Paris before May S. The Australian’s plans last year were abandoned and Costes came to the United States by steamer, but it is believed his desires to achieve the honour of completing the first westward flight from Europe to New York has induced Smith to revive the undertaking.

Smith will fly from Croydon, and arrangements are being made there for his arrival. Kingsford Smith announced on July 15 last year that, together with FlightLieutenant Ulm, he intended to fly from London to New York at the end of the month, and later he said he might fly the Atlantic from South Africa. These projects were later abandoned pending the reconditioning of the Southern Cross. Captain Costes, who a week previously had failed in his attempt to fly the Atlantic in company with Lieutenant Belloutes, said that in order to fly from Paris to New York an airplane must have wind and weather conditions, such as are almost exceptional. Though the crossing may be achieved •as a purely sporting attempt, he added, it held out little possibility of ever being of practical use until floating islands were established for refuelling purposes. In spite of this gloomy prediction, Costes expressed his intention of again attempting the flight. On their attempted Atlantic flight, Costes and Belloutes encountered exceptionally severe weather cond-tions, and made only one : third of the progress they had intended; and after a hurried consultation in mid-ocean, were forced to turn back on account of fuel shortage. “I would rather fly from New York to Paris ten times than once from Paris to New York,” he said on his return.