FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0376.PDF
MAY 26, 1927 Service African Flight Concluded THE splendid service flight across the African Continent has ended. On May 22 the four Fairey III F. (Napier " Lion ") machines landed at Heliopolis Aerodrome in the afternoon, which they had left on March 30. This flight was also carried out for the purpose of co-operating with the South African Air Forces en route. It was commanded by Air- Commodore C. R. Samson, Chief Staff Officer in the Middle East, and with him were Squadron-Leader R. S. Maxwell, O.C. No. 47 Squadron, Helwan ; Flight-Lieut. S. I). Mac- don aid ; Flying-Officer D. L. G. Bett ; Flight-Lieut. D. J. Blackford ; "two sergeant-fitters and one L.A.C. fitter. The full progress of the flight is as follows ; left Heliopolis March 30, arrived Assuan same day; Khartoum, March 31 ; Malakal, April 2 : Mongalla, April 3. The next day they reached Kisumu, and on the 5th the four South African D.H.9's arrived there. Co-operation manceuvres were carried out with every success at Nairobi, which the combined flights left on April 10 and arrived at Tabora, April 11, N'dola, April 13, and Pretoria, April 16. This completed the first part of the tour and the R.A.F. machines continued alone to Bloemfontein, arriving there on April 19. On April 21 they reached Capetown and thus completed the outward journey, 22 days after leaving Cairo. After five days' rest they went to Grahamstown on April 25, again co-operating with the Union machines. Returning via Pretoria again on May 9, Bulu- wayo, May 10, N'dola, May 13, Kisumu, May 15, Mongalla, May 17, Khartum, May 19, and Cairo, May 22. The pre- arranged schedule was kept faithfully, and no trouble worthy of comment was experienced during the whole flight. The aerodromes and landing places throughout the route were found to be in good order, and many roads in fair condition were found everywhere. On the return the airmen were accompanied by Captain Tasker, whom the South African Air Force lent to take the place of Flight-Lieut. Macdonald, the navigator, who fell ill at Pretoria and had to remain behind. The distance flown was 11,000 miles. The Other Atlantic Attempts The success of Capt. Lindbergh has naturally defeated part of the plans of his fellow competitors in America, and it is reported that Commander Byrd now prefers to fly from San Francisco to Honolulu or to make a reconnoitring flight over the Arctic from Alaska, but his backers have preferred that he should still make the Atlantic attempt, and he is expected to start immediately with a crew of four. On a test trip on May 23, he narrowly escaped disaster again when the right axle seized and nearly crashed the machine. The Bellanca aeroplane, which was to have been piloted by Messrs. Chamberlin and Bertaud, is stated to have teen withdrawn. Certain differences amongst those interested in the attempt are supposed to have arisen to account for the abandonment, and law court suits are threatened. Pinedo 's Progress THE Marquis de Pinedo left Montreal and reached Quebec on May 18. The next day he reached Shippegan Island, New Brunswick, and Trepassy Harbour at 8.33 p.m. on the 20th. On the 23rd he left there for the Azores and was sighted 360 miles north-west of Fayal of the Azores Islands at 4.30 p.m., by the steamship London Importer. After this nothing more was heard for some time, and as he did not arrive at the Azores when expected, some anxiety was felt. Subsequently, however, news was received to the effect that he had been forced to descend a hundred miles or so from his goal, and was being towed into Fayal Harbour by the Portuguese schooner Infante de Sagres. Pinedo was apparently uninjured. Coste and Rignot to Try " and Get it Back." THE two well-known French airmen, Capt. Coste and Lieut. Rignot, are attempting a long-distance record at once if weather conditions permit, flying between Paris and Tokyo in two stages. They will fly as far as possible on the first stage. Up till recently they held the record, which was 3,345 • 5 miles, made between Le Bourget and Jask on October 28-29 1926. Sarmento Beires not Returning Home by Air THE Portuguese airmen Sarmento Beires and his two companions, who flew from Portugal to Brazil a short while back, will not, as originally intended, fly back, but will return home by steamer. The financial conditions oi the Portuguese Government, it is stated, are responsible for this decision. Southampton-Cherbourg at Last ? Now that the objections to the use of Cherbourg as'an air port by the French authorities have been modified, there is a prospect of Imperial Airways linking Southampton with Cherbourg at last. The Cherbourg Chamber of Commerce have put forward a scheme for building a pontoon with a superstructure for passengers and mails, mooring it in the harbour at a predetermined point, and being constantly attended. But the air line is only in a tentative stage at present as regards the commercial side, for it is not considered that there is sufficient trade to warrant it yet, though there are reasonable prospects of express work connected with Atlantic steamers. A late fee mail service by air is favourably regarded, and it is proposed to see what support is likely to come from the postal authorities. Flying Home from India FLYING-OFFICER J. J C. COCKS. R.A.F., who is flying from India to England on his own D.H.9 machine, left Karachi for Basra at 4-6 a.m., May 19. His machine was assembled from two machines that had been used in the war and which had been stored for several years. Speeding up Canadian Mails THE Canadian Postal authorities have asked the British Post Office to sort the mail in a manner which will enable it to be taken by aeroplane from the liners at Father Point, Quebec, and distributed swiftly in Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. Arrangements for this air distribution are nearly completed, and a trial is expected to take place in September. A whole day will probably be saved in the service to Toronto and several hours for other cities. New Norwegian Air Transport Company THE Norwegian Air Route Company under the name of Norsk Luftfartsselskap, has just been formed at Oslo. The share capital is comparatively small, the intention being to co-operate with the German Hansa Company, which is start- ing the Oslo-Gothenburg-Copenhagen-Stettin route on June 15. Australia's'Beauty from the Air PASSENGERS to Australia by the Orient Line will have an opportunity of seeing the beauty of South Australia from the air during the steamer's stay in Adelaide. Aeroplanes will attend the steamers in port. Locating Reindeer from the Air IN blinding snowstorms and a frozen atmosphere Lieut. Reistad, of the Norwegian Flying Corps, set out in an aero- plane to find a herd of 300 reindeer lost between the File Mountains and the western coast. With him were a mechanic and the herdsmen. His machine was fitted with skis instead of wheels. The reindeer are worth 40,000 kronen. Aerial Ban on Oxford Undergrads UNDERGRADUATES at Oxford hae been banned from making aeroplane flights. The Sassoon Cup. A R.A.F. RACE of great interest is that which takes place at Northolt Aerodrome to-day at 2.30 p.m., between single-seater fighters from nine different squadrons for a Cup presented by Sir Philip Sassoon. The heats for this race have been flown at the stations of the various squadrons, and to-day's race at Northolt is the final. The course is Northolt-Duxford-Halton-Northolt, and has to be covered once. The machines will fly at 2,000 feet, and pilots are permitted to remove bomb racks and other excrescences by way of " cleaning up " their machines. The squadrons represented are : No. 3, Upavon, Hawker " Woodcock, F/O B. Cranswick, M.C.; No. 17, Upavon, Hawker " Wood- cock," Fl.Lt. F. L. Pcarce ; No. 19, Duxford, Glostcr, "Grebe," F/O P. P- Grey; No. 23, Henlow, Gloster " Gamecock " F/O A. W. B. McDonald ; No. 25, Hawkinge, Gloster " Grebe," F/O L. E. Maynard ; No. 29, Duxford, Gloster " Grebe," F/O W. A. Tattersall ; No. 32, Kenley Gloster " Gamecock, P/O A. H. Montgomery ; No. 41, Northolt, Siddeley " Siskin," P/O H. T. Andrews ; No. 43, Tangmere, Gloster " Gamecock," Fl.Lt. A. C. Collier. The winning machine will fly in the R.A.F. Pagent. 33R
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
