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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0643.PDF
OCTOBER 2, 1924 touched the water a large wave caught our wing tip float, smashed it to pieces, and buried the end of the wing under water. This caused the machine to swing suddenly round, the port wing broke up, and the sea catching the other wing tip float smashed that and the starboard wing tip as well. We hastily put on our lifebelts, but, thanks to the sturdy con struction of the hull, the machine took the strain without breaking, and we were safe for the moment. " We were now in a very real quandary, for we had com pletely lost our bearings. The fog was so thick that we could not see more than 50 yards in any direction. The heavy sea was breaking up the wings completely, and we knew that the moment these gave way the machine would overbalance and sink. Our only hope lay in the hope that my navigation was correct, which should have placed us just south of Bering Island. " This meant that we should proceed in a northerly direc tion. It was essential to keep the machine on the move, as this was the only method of keeping the wings out of the water. Plenderleith taxied the machine slowly northward, while Broome and I ran up and down the planes trying to keep them balanced in a horizontal position so that the ends would not dip under water. Our agonies were increased by a strong wind which was now blowing behind us from the south, and it was with the greatest difficulty that we could steer the required course. After about three hours of this anxiety, during which we had scarcely made any headway, the fog suddenly lifted, and we saw, half a mile to the north, the coastline. I can assure you that this was the most wel come sight that had ever met my eyes, for in spite of our efforts to keep the wings out of the water, they were gradually breaking up. We quickly reached the shore, and anchoring the machine just off the surf, all jumped into the icy water, and gained the beach safely, only a mile or two from Nikolski. This was the end of our attempt, and I am not ashamed to say that I wept bitterly. The Thiepval arrived the next morning, and salved the remains of the machine. " That is our story. We would not have missed the adventure for worlds; we did our best, and failed this time. I will say nothing of our luck ; that is all in the game. But I will never say anything disrespectful of a London fog again. It is now established that it is possible to fly round the world. I believe it can be done in less time than Jules Verne's eighty days, and also by one British machine and one British engine. " Once more I should like to thank you for the very hearty welcome you have given us, and to say that, although we have failed, we did our best." It is impossible to give a full list of the names of the 300 guests or so who joined in the welcome to Squadron-Leader MacLaren and Flying-Officer Plenderleith, but the company included : the American, Greek and Japanese Ambassadors, the Lord Privy Seal (The Right Hon. J. R. Clynes), Air Vice- Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond, Air Vice-Marshal Scarlett, Mr. S. Samuel, M.P., Lord Herbert Scott, Sir Henry White- Smith, Rear-Admiral Sueter, Sir G. O. Thurston, Commander J. H. Towers, Air Commodore Longcroft, the Hon. Sir E. Lucas, Lieut.-Col. McClean, Lieut.-Col. Marsh, Col. Mossberg, Air Commodore Munro, Mr. T. P. O'Connor, M.P., Col. C. P. Ostoic, Lieut.-Col. Pelletier, Lieut.-Comdr. Perrin, Comdr. A. de Bahr, Wing-Comdr. Barker, Admiral Mark Kerr, Air Commodore Borton, Lieut.-Col. Bouverie, Sqdn.-Leader Sir C. J. L. Brand, Lieut.-Col. Bristow, Sir Vincent Cailland, Dr. 'Chalmers Mitchell, the Hon. H. P. Colebatch, Air Com modore P. Drew, Air Vice-Marshal Game, Brigadier-General Sir Capel Holden, Air Commander Higgins, Col. Kenyon Joyce, Mr. F. C. Broome, Comdr. Don Edgardo von Schroeders, Capt. de Corvette Sable, Capt. V. Gordon, Capt. Hussey, Capt. H. E. P. D. Acland, and Capt. Cockerell. E H 13 HI AMERICAN WORLD-FLIGHT CONCLUDED ON Sunday, September 28, the American Flight Round the World was brought to a successful conclusion, when the three Douglas World-Cruisers (Libertv engines), the " Boston " piloted by Lieut. Lowell Smith, the " Chicago " piloted by Lieut. Erik Nelson, and Lieut. Leigh Wade's new machine (which replaced the " New Orleans " lost off Iceland), to gether with the respective observers, Lieut. L. P. Arnold, Lieut. J. Harding, and Serg. Odgen, all arrived at Seattle, where the flight " officially " commenced on April 6 last. Actually, they—including the leader of the expedition, Major F. L. Martin—started from Santa Monica (California) on March 17, at which place they arrived back on September 23. From Santa Monica, the 965 miles to Seattle was com pleted in three easy stages on September 25, 27 and 28. We give, briefly, below the log of the great flight, from start to finish, which will serve to indicate the progress made day by day and from place to place, with the distances in miles (approximate) between each stage. The " grand total " figures are stated to be as follows :—Total elapsed time, 175 days ; mileage, 27,534 ; days actually in the air, 66; actual riving time, 351 hrs. 11 mins.; average speed, 76-36 m.p.h. March 17—Santa Monica-Sacramento (350). March 18— Sarcamento-Eugene (375). March 18—Eugene-Seattle (240). April 6—Seattle to Prince Rupert, B.C. (6o0). April 10— Prince Rupert to Sitka, Alaska (300). April 13—Sitka to Seward, Alaska (600). April 15—Seward to Chignik, Alaska (450) ; the " Seattle " (Major Martin) forced down at Kanatak' with a leaking crankcase. April 17—Chignik to Dutch Harbour, Unalaska (400). April 25—'Plane " Seattle " flew from Kanatak to Chignik. April 30—'Plane " Seattle " left Chignik for Dutch Harbour, but crashed into mountain. Crew saved and walked to Port Moller, arriving ten days later. May 3—Three remaining 'planes, " Boston," " Chi cago " and " New Orleans," flew from Dutch Harbour—Nazan (Island of Atka) (350). May 9—Nazan-Chicagoff (530). May 16—Cbicagoff-Komandorski-Kashiwabara Bay, Para- mushiru (900). May 19—Paramushiru, Hitto Kappu Bay- Yetorofu (510). May 22—Yetorofu-Minato-Kasumiga Ura (780). June 1—Kasumiga-Ura-Kiushimoto (350). June 2 —Kiushimoto-Kagoshima (380). June 3—Kagoshima- Shanghai. 'Planes "Boston" and "New Orleans" (610). June 4—Kagoshima-Shanghai. 'Plane " Chicago." June!— Shanghai-Amov (555). June 8—Amoy-Hong Kong (300). June 11—Hong'Kong-Haiphong (500). June 13—Haiphong- Tourane (395). June U6—Tourane-Saigon (530). June 18 —Saigon-Bangkok (675). June 20—Bangkok-Tavoy-Ran- goon (450). June 25—Rangoon-Akyab (445). June 26— Akyab-Calcutta (400). July 1—Calcutta-Allahabad (475). July 2—Allahabad-Umballa (530). July 3—Umballa-Mul- tan (325). July A—Multan-Karachi (475). July 7—Karachi- Charabar (330). July 7—Charabar-Bendar Abbas (330). July 8—Bendar Abbas-Bushire (400). July 8—Bushire- Bagdad (455). July 9—Bagdad-Aleppo (480). July 10— Aleppo-Konia-Constantinople (585). July 12—Constan tinople-Bucharest (290). July 13—Bucharest-Budapest-1 Vienna (650). July 14—Vienna-Strasbourg-Paris (650). July 16—Paris-London (225). July 17—London-Brough (155). July 30—Brough-Kirkwell ' (370). August 2-5— Kirkwell-Reykjavik (825). 'Plane " New Orleans," Lieut. Wade, down off Iceland. August 21—Reykjavik-Frederiks- dal-Ivigtut (900). August 31—Ivigtut-Indian Harbour, Labrador (520). September 2—Indian Harbour-Hawkes Bay, N.F. (130). September 3—Hawkes Bay-Pictou, N.S. (455). September 5—Pictou-Casco Bay (410). September 6 —Casco Bay-Boston (210). September 8—Boston-New York (200). September 9—New York-Washington (200). Sep tember 13—Washington-Dayton (420). September 15—Day ton-Chicago (294). September 17—-Chicago-Omaha (440). September 18—Omaha-Muskogee (440). September 19-20— Muskogee-El Paso, Tex. (880). September 21—El Paso- Tucson, Arizona (300). September 22—Tucson-San Diego (375). September 23—San Diego-Santa Monica (120). Sep tember 25—Santa Monica-San Francisco (300). September 27—San Francisco-Eugene, Oregon (450). September 28— Eugene-Seattle (250). While the American airmen met with extraordinarily enthusiastic receptions at the various places along their journey across the States, the scenes of joy and excitement on their arrival at Seattle were indescribable. Among the first to congratulate them was Maj. Martin, the original leader of the expedition. After a brief speech by Lieut. Smith, he and his companions—bedecked with flowers—were taken to an informal reception at Madison Park, and then to Volunteer Park, where there were more speeches, addresses of welcome, etc. Maj. Zanni's Flight HAVING received permission to land at Shanghai, Maj. Zanni, the Argentine airman who is attempting a flight round the world, left Hong Kong on September 27. 643
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