World’s Greatest Pilot

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1046, 9 August 1930, Page 8

World’s Greatest Pilot

SMITH OR LINDBERGH ?

WITH Kiugsford Smith’s more recent achievement of crossing the Atlantic from east to -west, the -world, especially Australia, has found an interesting topic for debate. “Who is the world’s greatest airman?” There are several pilots pre-eminent in their own special sphere, all of whom can claim some consideration; but there is a problem in drawing the line of comparison between the soloists and the leader of a team.'

The harder task confronts the solo flier; but there is little doubt the bigplane pilot’s effort With his team is the more valuable to the science of aviation. So far as distance or hazards are concerned several have ono outstanding achievement behind them, but Wing-Commander Kingsford Smith has many, and his recent east-to-west Atlantic flight linked the world. His near-record for endurance flying in U.S.A. and the New Zealand and Svil-ney-Perth flights, if they proved nothing else, showed Kingsford Smith to be equally at home over land or water.

He is a versatile pilot and the genius of the team-manned plane, and as such, he ranks higher than Lindbergh, the solo ace, or Hinkler, who leads the way for a long-distance flights in a light plane. For solo effort, Lindbergh's Atlantic flight is without doubt at the top of that class, and in spite of the great performances of other pilots, to Americans, he is still the flying hero. But then there is Hinkler, who may claim to hold the same proud position with the light plane atthough, in this sphere even Amy Johnson cannot be disregarded. At one stage of her great England-Australia flight this daring aviatrix was two days ahead of Hinkler. and with just an ordinary turn of luck she would have been wearing Hinkler's laurels today. Then there have been other classic efforts not attended with the customary glamour and world-wide interest. There was Lady Bailey’s solo flight from England to Capetown, which was indeed a classic. Then there are to be considered those distance efforts of fliers such as the Italians, Ferrarin and del Prete. These pilots flew nonstop from Rome to Brazil and cannot be ignored altogether in the allocating of the world title.

The longest non-stop flight across the Atlantic was 3,960 miles, from New York to Germany, a feat accomplished by Chamberlin. And still, with distinct pride the whole world must salute the blazing of the direct

air trail above these waters by Alcock and Brown. That, indeed, was an epic flight. Many still hold that the first east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic by the Bremen was probably a finer effort than that of the Southern Cross. It was, for the German plane did not have anything like the same radio and navigation advantages of the Fokker. But the Bremen fliers have not had a “repeat order’’ on world fame such as a Pacific flight. And so it is with other rivals of Kingsford Smith, who is twice famous. There is quite a new phase in the accomplishing of epic ocean flights in multi-engined planes with full equipment and team work. In enterprises of this nature Kingsford Smith, as cTiief pilot and leader, stands alone. Two of his classic efforts at least overshadow the best performances of any other in the same field. Although Smith’s record flight to England was nothing so extraordinary when the Southern Cross is compared with the plane it had to beat, it was a necessary feat and a link in the first complete aerial chain round the world. It is indeed extraordinary in this age of speed that the speed aces do not come into the reckoning when an attempt is being made to choose the world’s greatest pilot. For what Segrave did against the clock he was universally conceded to be the greatest motorist of all times; yet one cannot recall having heard Schneider Cup flier Orlebar’s name mentioned in quite the same breath as ♦ hat of Kingsford Smith or Lindbergh. It is difficult to understand, for the high-speed flier faces more risks In his stupendous sprints thgn the long distance or ocean pilot. There is no doubt that he also makes valuable contributions to aviation; but the public certainly gives higher marks and more credit to the man who flaw the Atlantic single-handed than to the speedster of the skies, who travelled at a speed of 357.7 m.p.h. —G.K.P.