COSTES AT NEW YORK

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1067, 3 September 1930, Page 1

COSTES AT NEW YORK

Non-Stop Atlantic Hop

THE QUESTION MARK LANDS

Trip from Paris in Fast lime

LANDING at New York at 6.12 p.m. last evening', local time, two French airmen, Captain Costes and Lieutenant Belleconte, completed the first non-stop flight from Le Bourget Airdrome, Paris, to New York. The flight occupied 37 hours 18J minutes. Good weather was experienced for the greater part of the journey, but local thunderstorms were encountered near the coast of U.S.A.

United JP.A.—By Telegraph Copyright Reed. 10.55 a.m. NEW YORK, Tues. Captain Costes and Lieutenant Belleconte, the French airmen who left Le Bourget airdrome yesterday on a non-stop flight from France to New York yesterday, crossed the Atlantic safely and landed at New York at 6.12 p.m. today local time, 37 hours 18£ minutes after leaving Paris. A sudden electric rain storm broke here this afternoon at 2.30 and lasted half an hour, leaving the sky overcast. The Curtis Field was crowded by thousands of people awaiting the fliers. Coste and Bellonte landed gracefully at Curtiss Field amid a riotous welcome. A crowd estimated at 20,000 rushed through the police lines, and some of them raised the fliers to their

shoulders and carried them to the hangar. Both were tired but smiling. Rene Racover, their personal manager, was the first to reach the side of the plane. He shook hands with, the fliers and congratulated them, but they indicated they were unable to hear, as they had been deafened by the constant roar of the airplane motors. The huge crowd fought the police to gain egress to the hangar, where photographers boomed flashlights like an artillery barrage. Colonel Charles Lindbergh was among those greeting the fliers. Commenting on the flight, he said, “Congratulations. You made a marvellous flight. I knew that if anyone could make such a flight it would be you.” PROGRESS OF FLIGHT A message was received from St. Johns, Newfoundland, stating that the operator at Louisburg radio station had communicated with the airmen at 7.30 p.m. yesterday, local time. The airplane. Question Mark, was reported to be making good speed. Two and a-half hours later the liner Bremen reported the position of the plane as about 400 miles east of Newfoundland. The conditions over the coast of Newfoundland at that time were ideal. There was a light westerly wind and the visibility was good. RAN INTO FOGS With the weather reports from Newfoundland rapidly changing during the early hours of the morning, the Question Mark, when apparently 400 miles off the coast, felt the first effects of fog and adverse winds. The fliers then reported to the steamer Jacques Cartier that they had changed their course further to the south at about midnight. New York time. The liner America at 3 a.m. relayed a report from the Bremen, the navigators on which vessel estimated the position of the airplane at 400 miles east of Newfoundland. Between 9 p.m. and midnight the machine apparently had maintained an even 100 miles an hour with no adverse winds on her coarse, which was nearly due west, but from then on the winds became easterly and an area of poor visibility developed over the easternmost portion of the North American continent. LOCAL STORMS Despite the change in the weather, Dr. Kimball stated he believed the conditions would present no seriou3 obstacle to the plane. There were no general storms or fogs along the coastline of Canada and the scattered thunderstorms were only locaL Cloudy weather, however, lay all the way from Newfoundland to New York. At 5 a.m.. New York time, the plane was off Cape Race, Newfoundland, indicating that after swerving south to avoid the adverse weather conditions, it resumed its due westerly course within a short interval. Costes passed South St. Pierre, shortly before six o’clock and reported "All well.” : At 11 a.m. local time the fliers passed over Country Harbour, Nova Scotia. The plane communicated with Gloucester, Massachusetts, naval radio station at 1.30 p.m. local time and' had previously been reported as flying over Halifax. The Question Mark was reported flying along the Maine coast this afternon at an estimated average Bpeed of 100 miles an hour. The fliers already had achieved the distinction of making the first non-stop flight from the Continent of Europe to the Continet of America, with every probability of completing the first Paris to New York non-stop flight. The Question Mark passed Boston at 4.26 p.m. HINKLER GOING HOME NEW YORK, Monday. Mr. Bert Hinkler has arrived at New York, on route to Australia. Thoj Australian airman will spend a month in the United States. BAGDAD NEXT PARIS, Tuesday. ] The flight of Captain Costes and Lieutenant Belleconte is causing the greatest excitement in France. II they succeed the airmen intend to fly from New York to Bagdad in ani attempt to break the non-stop record.