THE TASMAN FLIGHT

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 27, 20 January 1928, Unnumbered Page

THE TASMAN FLIGHT

2YA’S Fime Service

Wi 4 y ares autor!

‘T the time of going to Press, almost a

full week after the inception of the first attempt at a trans-Tasman flight from Ausgralia to New Zealand, no definite news is available as to the

whereabouts of the two gallant aviators, Lieut. J. R. Moncrieff and Capt George Hood. In those circumstances little reasonable hope can be entertained as to their ultimate safety. Should they yet be found, there will, of course, be general rejoicing at their escape from what was unquestionably a perilous adventure, Into the general aspects of the flight, there is but little occasion for ourselves, as a specialised radio journal, to enter. It is material, however, for us to place on record the special relationship ‘of radio broadcasting to the flight, and the service, station 2YA in particular was able to render the New Zealand public by keeping them informed of the course of events on the night of Tuesday, January 10/11. The service rendered on that occasion was, we think, memorable. Had the evening been crowned by the successful arrival of the aviators, it would have been joyously memorable; but even with the drawback of an absence of that confirmation, the occasion marked an outstanding demonstration of the utility of public broadcasting, and the service it is capable of rendering in bringing the public in touch with events of moment as they transpire.

It is, of course, impossible to compute the number of people who kept in touch with the evening’s news by means of the broadcast by 2YA and the re-broadcast by SYA. Unquestionably an intense public interest was evoked by the event, and the probability is that the great majority of listeners throughout the country kept in touch up till the time of 2YA closing down at 2.30 in the morning, when hope for arrival at that time was abandoned. THE SCENE AT TRENTHAM.. The scene at Trentham during the course of that evening will linger long in the memories of those who were able to attend-and it is estimated that there were on the ground, between the

hours of 5 and 8 p.m, between 10,000 and 12,000 people. But not only will the scene remain with those who saw it, but a mental picture will remain with listeners, thanks to the generally able and trenchant description of the scene and incidents given by 2YA’s announcer. Although individual praise to the units of an organisation is in general not desirable, we think listeners will agree that commendation is due to Mr. Ball for the caution and restraint, and at the same time enthusiasm, with which he handled the evening’s work. In retrospect, the occasion might easily have been marred by either an undue laudation of assumed success, from which the rebound of disappointment would have been most marked, or marred by the adoption of the wrong tone. It is due to Mr. Ball to say that no such errors were made. Close contact was maintained with the officials of the Post and Telegraph Department and of the Defence Department; and every care taken to issue as official only that news derived from official sources. In the circumstances of the evening, the sifting of fact from rumour was more difficult than might be imagined, although the public, in the analysis of reports which has been proceeding for the past week, will appreciate some of the difficulties faced on that evening. FINE SERVICE PLANNED. From the inception of the news session at 7 p.m., 2YA listeners were informed of the Company's plans for keeping them in touch with the evening’s developments, Speaking from the Trentham Park stand, where every facility had been granted for

the broadcast by the Trustees of the Tasman Flight Fund in recognition of the interest of the public in the occasion, Mr. Ball outlined the scene presented by the historic racecourse embosomed in the encircling bush clad hills and lying under the brilliance of a perfect summer sun. He called to his side Uncle Sandy, and indulged in a little interesting dialogue with that gentleman, whose aid he sought momentarily in placing before the numerous children in homes throughout the land a mental picture of the scene presented. At the time a note of expectant optimism was dominant, and a little facetious badinage as to the absence of refreshments, liquid and otherwise, which would have been welcome under the then brilliant sun, was indulged in. The aeroplane was expected to reach Trentham, according to schedule, between 7 and 8 o'clock p.m., and with advice of the radio note having been heare at 5.22, all were on the tie-toe of expectancy of the successful culmination. After the initial announcements at Trentham, the studio proceeded with the ordinary news session, and closed down in the ordinary way till 8 o’clock. As a preliminary to the evening’s programme, it was announced that a relay had been effected with Trentham, and that news would be given as developments occurred. Throughout the programme very little of moment occurred to report: and as 10 o’clock approached anxiety began

to be felt by the crowd on the course and also by listeners. With the announcement made on the conclusion of the programme that 2YA would remain on the air, there is no doubt listeners experienced relief at the service being given. From this time onward, anxiety grew, and the service from Tren--tham occupied more and more of the time, although, as it was impossible to give a continual stream of news or comment, relief was necessary by resort to the broadcast of gramophone records from the studio. The relay line, of course, was kept in contact, and frequently the announcer’s voice cut across the studio. music till that could be switched over. -(Continued on p. 16.)

The Tasman Flight--2YA’s Outstanding Broadcasts _

Stirring Scene at Trentham

, AN ANXIOUS EVENING, ~* (Continued from Front Page.) {here is-no need for us to recapituate the details of that anxious evenne, for unquestionably it became very anxious, not only to those on e ground, but to all in their homes ho had the imagination to picture he drama played out between the en concerned and the fast falling hades of evening-unless indeed, as ome think, there had come a sudden nd at sea beyond sight of New Zeaand, All that could be done from ‘entham was done. Poignancy was iven to the occasion by the descripion of a tense group of the loved mes of the flyers keenly awaiting their arrival. Admiration and a thrill of human sympathy was evoked or Mrs. Moncrieff and her companon, Mrs. Hood, when at midnight the ormer rose to the occasion of sayng a few words through the micro-}

1 phone to the listening public. With a steady voice, and the fullest confidence of their success in the light of the reports of their having teen feen, she breathed her conviction as to her husband’s capacity to make @ successful landing in completion of his historic flight. At the same time she conveyed her thanks to the public, both there and throughout New Zealand, for the interest any sympathy they were taking in the enterprise. From this point, as more reports, apparently confirmed from separate angles, came to hand of the aviators’ search-for Trentham, interest became at once more engrossing and more anxious, as listeners realised the increasingly difficult problem presented by the passage of the hours and the exhaustion of the petrol. Then came mention of preparations for the sending up of rockets and incidents in connection therewith. At two o’clock the crowd had dwindled considerably, and at 2.30 the authorities recognised that it was useless hanging on any further, and 2YA reluctantly closed down. * TRIBUTE TO OFFICIALS. A tribute should be paid to all the Government officials concerned---officers of the Post and Telegraph Department and of the Defence Department, as well as of the Broadcasting Company for the steady efforts made throughout a long evening to give the public the informatica it sought. Practically all were cn duty continuously without a meal or relief from 4 o’clock in the afternoon, or earlier, to 4 o’clock in the morning, by which time many were only reaching their homes from Trentham. Although the evening’s broadcast was unfortunately not crowned by news of the successful arrival of the plane, the evening was a very striking demonstration of the service that broadcasting is capable’ of rendering to the public. Unquestionably hundreds of thousands listened, at any rate in the earlier part of the evening, to the radio waves from Trentham, and thus felt that they were as closely in touch with the event as if they were on the ground itself, Broadcasting thus takes rank in the public mird of the Dominion ag an organ cf immeasurable utility,

AN EVENING FOR EVER UNFORGETTABLE

That night on the Trentham racecourse! Will it ever be forgotten by those who waited and watched-and hoped? In the early eyening, thousads; as the night gave place to the early hours of the morn, many hundreds watched and waited-and in their hearts prayed-for the safe-coming of the two intrepid young men who through the limitless void were blazing an air trail above the watery wastes of the ‘Tasman between the great Commonwealth of Australia and our own fair Dominion, When early in the day the news came that Lieut. Moncrieff and Captain Hood had commenced successfully their long voyage and were to all

appearances "‘well away" the triumphant conclusion of their adventurous enterprise seemed to be taken for granted, and there were- few, if any, who did not confidently believe that the *plane would come sweeping gracefully to the landing ground at ‘Trentham somewhere between 7 and 8 o’clock that evening And what au evening for the consummation of such an enterprise! The sun, supreme in the heavens, glossing the azure blue of the almost cloudless sky, and scarce even the semblance of the gentlest’ zephyrs to stir the stillness of a perfect summer’s _ eve. Surely Nature and all the Ilements had in friendly conspiracy united to provide an ideal setting for the grand finale, and to reward the gallant avia-

tors with all the essential conditions for a perfect landing. And so, by train and bus and car the crowds trooped hopefully to the appointed rendezvous, filling to capacity the seating accommodation of the main grandstand, thronging the lawns and overflowing a wide area of the surrounding grounds. Well before 7 o’clock the stage was set for what would indeed have proved a great reception. From where the microphone was then placed-on the course prope~ in frdut of the stand-the scene, having regard to its occasion, was one to which only a poet could do justice. ‘The very atmiosphere seeinecd te pulsate with the

spirit of hopeful expectancy. It needed but the thrill of the longed-for appearance of a moving speck ’twixt sky and distant hill tops, just the first faint throbbing of the engine of the fast approaching ’plane, to have sent the great crowd wild with enthusiastic excitement and to have started a cheer such as would have literally rent the heavens, But time sped on. Seven o'clock came, seven-thirty, eight, the sun disappeared, and as it went the clouds, radiant in a glory of brilliant tints, gradually became dull and drab, ‘The while, countless necks were craned in vigilant search of the aerial voyagers. Doubtful conjecture began to clip the wings of hopeful optimism. Just as the

warmth of tle summer’s eve gave place to the chill of night, so fell the mental temperature of the watchers, Then came the moon, and with its coming, its silvery beauty soon to be masked by the massing clouds, and with its coming the entire scene was changed. Only from the vantage point of the members’ stand was it possible to drink in the full significance of this new scene. Picture it, if you can, In the centre of the course the parked cars of the official party, now much thinner in personnel than it was; figures moving about silently in the semi-dark-ness, and flitting now and then into the glare of the one big bonfire or the.

rays of a motor headlight; neater ‘he stands a much larger crowd, parading the lines in quiet conversation, besieging the officials for news, mustering every how and then in large groups in front of the ‘"‘mike’’-now located in the members’ stand-and eagerly absorbing and discussing the reports that were broadcast so soon as they were Officially released. It was a _ weird scene, profoundly impressive. But by far the most notable feature of the memorable occasion was the psychological characteristics of the watchers. The tenseness of their growing anxiety could be felt-literally felt-as the hours wore on. In a very real sense Trentham was thrilled by that touch of nature which makes the whole world

kin. Men and women were united by. a common anxiety, and a common sympathy for the three watchers who personified in themselves the concentrated anxiety of the multitude-the mother of Lieut, Moncrieff and the Wives of the two airmen who with’courageous and confident optimism "stood by" from early evening -until the very last.

IN CHRISTCHURCH.

REBROADCAST MUCH APPRECIATED. Crystal set users at Christchurch on Tuesday evening had all the thrills and excitement of the people at Trentham. The descriptions of the scene there were so graphic that listeners experienced all the ¢xpectancy of those who were looking over the Trentham hilltops for the first sign of the aeroplane. The occasion of the re-broadcast of 2YA was historic, and excitement was tense. The lis-teners-in heard all the news there was, and in that way fared better than did the people at Trentham, who were the victims of all manner .of wild rumours. Though the silent day at 3YA, this station went on the air on Tuesday, and helped to establish in the minds of the public the value cf broadcasting as a public utility. The broadcasting stations have "put over stunts" before, but these have generally been in the way of entertainment. On Tuesday, however, the stations served another purpose, that of purveyors of news to many thousands of anxious people.

It was an interesting sight at 3YA during the evening, and until the close down at 2.30. Apart from the station staff, other men who were greatly interested in the flight were there. The place resembled a newspaper office during war time, when local strategists were wont’ to gather to await the cable news, and then to work out on a map what the opposing armies had done, and would, or ought to, do. So it was with the flight across the Tasman. As each report came through.from 2YA, there was much speculation as to the position of the lost airmen, and conjectures were made as to the probable course to be pursued by them. Their chances of landing before their benzine supply was exhausted were keenly debated. Widespread appreciation of the enterprise of the Broadcasting Company in this matter has been expressed.