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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0348.PDF
MAY 19, 1927 The Atlantic Flight Mystery WE regret that the safety of the French airmen, Capts. Nungesser and Coli, remains in doubt despite the many rumours that have arisen to the contrary. Systematic searches on both sides of the Atlantic have been organised in vain, and reports of the " White bird's " appearance over Newfoundland about the time it might be expected there on the Monday morning are, unfortunately, discounted now. That a landing in Canada was well within the bounds of possibility is confirmed by the fact that Capt. Coli, the navigator, confided in his friends his intention of directing the " White Bird " there in the event of unfavourable weather on the Atlantic coast. There are contradictory reports of the weather during the vital period on the other side of the Atlantic, and one captain of a liner declares that no 'plane could have lived in the storm which raged to the northward on Sunday night. The elements have considerably inter- fered with an effective search since. Fleets of aeroplanes have patrolled the American coast ; the U.S.A. airship, " Los Angeles," was out ; and Atlantic liners diverted from their course to search the presumed path of the lost machine. Also no news has been received of Capt. St. Roman and his com- panions, who disappeared in the South Atlantic in an effort to span the eastern and western borders on May 5. The Next Atlantic Attempts THE anticipated competitors for the Atlantic crossing at the moment are now Americans—namely, Capt. Charles Lindbergh, who intends to fly a single-seater Ryan and recently flew it from the Pacific coast to New York in record time ; Comdr. Byrd, who is flying a Fokker ;- and Messrs. Chamberlin and Bertaud, who are using their Bellanca machine in which they set up a recent world's endurance record. Lindbergh is a popular idol on the other side of the Atlantic, partly due to his personality and partly to the risks he is taking by flying alone. Experts favour Byrd, who has three Wright " Whirlwind " engines in his machine and is a very experienced pilot. As all three machines are more or less ready and waiting for fine weather, there is considerable pleasant suspicion among the crews of each trying to forestall the others. Amsterdam-New York Next ? A WEALTHY American, Mr. Van Leer Black, who recently toured Europe by air in one of the Dutch Air Navigation Company's machines, has now ordered a Fokker machine, equipped with three Armstrong-Siddeley " Lynx " engines, and has engaged the Dutch pilot, M. Gejsendorffer, to fly from Amsterdam to New York, probably via England, the Faroes, and Iceland. Service African Flights ON their homeward flight the South African machines, under the command of Air-Commodore Samson, leftBulawayo for Livingstone on May 10, and arrived at N'dola on May 13. Kisumu was reached on May 15 from Tabora, and Mongalla, in the Sudan, on May 17. Flying Home from India FLYING-OFFICER J. J. C. COCKS, NO. 60 (Bombing) Squad- ron, R.A.F., left Lahore, India, May 11, in a privately-owned D.H.9 biplane fitted with a 240-h.'p. Siddeley Puma engine, en route for Lympne, England, via the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Asia Minor. He was accompanied by Corporal Rowston, R.A.F. He hoped to start on the next stage from Karachi last Saturday. Schulz makes another Gliding Record ON May 14, at a gliding competition, the German, Herr Ferdinand Schulz, succeeded in gliding a distance of over 38 miles along the coast from Rosittcn to Memel, establishing a gliding record. The previous record was also made by a German, Max Kegel, who flew 34 miles in a straight line last August. Pinedo 's Progress THE Marquis de Pinedo reached Philadelphia from New York on May 11 and flew from Charleston to Pensacola, Florida, arriving next at New Orleans on May 13. The next day he reached Memphis, Tennessee. The last landing in the United States was made when he alighted at Chicago on May 15, where, in a speech, he expressed his thanks to the American people for the friendship shown him during his trip. He intended to leave the next day for Montreal, but engine trouble caused a delay ; eventually he arrived on the evening of May 17, after 11 hrs. flying. From Montreal he will fly to Newfoundland and then cross the Atlantic to the Azores. A Supermarine Extension THE Supermarine Aviation Company. Southampton, haw- acquired the Hythe seaplane shed adjoining the works of Messrs. Kemp and Co., Hythe, near Southampton. It was built by the Government during the war for the purpose of erecting seaplanes and flying boats, although very little of this work was actually done, and for years it has laid idle. It is to cope with the extension of thoir business that the famous flying-boat constructors have taken the huge shed, as it will give them adequate facilities for large contracts. It will be used mostly for erection and the testing of machines. It is already occupied by them, and some hulls were sent over from the Woolston works this week. It is situated on the shore at Hythe, within convenient distance of the new Fawlay-Totton railway line, and affords an excellent >lip\vay for launching boats. Fatal French Air Collision IN an accident near Metz on May 1(1, four French airmen were killed. Seven aeroplanes of the 11th Aviation Regiment were engaged in formation flying when two rear machines came into collision and crashed to earth from less than 500 ft. There was no chance of the parachutes being used, and the one officer and three N.C.O.'s were killed instantly. Missing Russian Balloonists Rescued The pilots of a Soviet balloon which went up from Moscow on April 30 have been rescued by hunters twenty miles from Troitsk in the Komi district. They were found half frozen and nearly dead from exposure. The balloon met with disaster when flying over the Ural mountains. Pan-American Air Conference THE Pan-American Commercial Aviation Conference which is meeting at Washington has come to two interesting decisions, which are not altogether in agreement with the desires of the U.S.A. One is to the effect that commercial aircraft shall have the nationality of the State in which they are registered. This strikes away limitations of the character included in the International Air Convention of 1919. The second decision made was the total prohibition of the transport by commercial aircraft of arms, munitions, or explosives. Objections to this decision were made on the grounds that it would prevent the sending of explosives by air urgently required by mining concerns, etc. Argu- ments for this decision were based on the question of revolu- tions breaking out in certain States. The conference is alsn considering the drawing up of a convention to regulate com- mercial flying between the United States and countries to the south. Paris-Moscow by Light Plane. ON May 17 Lieut. Thoret set out from Le Bourget m a Caudron " Avionnetti " (40 h.p. Salmson) in an attempt to fly to Moscow. He was, however, forced to descend shortly after starting in order to make certain adjustments, but arranged to make another attempt at the first oppor- tunity. Proposed Vancouver-Sydney Flight PROPOSALS have been made for a flight from Vancouver to Sydney, Australia, via Honolulu, Fanning Islands, ^uv:i' and New Caledonia, a total distance of about 7,400 iw)[es- It will be undertaken next summer by Capt. F. A. <»m'>, late R.A.F. navigator, and Capt. G. Jenkins, pilot. R. Ae. Society's Chairman ,(1 COLONEL THE MASTER OF SEMPILL has been re-clecti'< Chairman of the Royal Aeronautical Society as from Octooei, 1927, to September, 1928. Thus to hold office in that impor- tant capacity for two years in succession is a precedent. 316
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