THE RETURN FLIGHT OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 14, 19 October 1928, Page 6

THE RETURN FLIGHT OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

AFTER protracted delays, waiting for conditions favourable enough to warrant the undertaking of such a veneture, the return flight of the Southern Cross to Australia from New Zealand was made on Saturday and Sunday last, the actual time of the flight from take-off to land being 22 hours 52 minutes. This is necessarily very much slower than the phenomenally quick original flight to New Zealand, when a following wind of some 30 miles an hour contributed very materially to a spectacular performance. On this occasion, conditions were the exact opposite, and a head wind was encountered for the whole distance. The effect was to materially slow down the rate of progress, particularly in the early stages, when the craft was heavily laden, to but little better than 50 knots an hour. On the last stages of the journey with better conditions and a lighter load this rate was improved. FROM the radio point of view this flight was vastly more successful than the earlier crossing. Then because of the bad con‘ditions and lightning storms encountered, the radio apparatus was out of action for a considerable part of the journey. On this occasion, although conditions were far from ideal and heavy showers were encountered, the radio equipment functioned satisfactorily throughout, and as a consequence almost throughout hourly reports were available of the position, which enabled listeners to actually plot progress on charts and atlases. The return was thus a triumph for the dependability of radio. Through radio all could share in the flight, and as public interest was intense, the value of radio has been strongly impressed upon the public mind.