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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 1554.PDF
AUGUST 9TH, FLIGHT 143 Anderson and his mechanic, H. S. Hitchcock, were forceddown in dry, uninhabited areas by engine trouble, and died of hunger and thirst. Kingsford Smith and Ulm made a second start for Englandon June 25th, 1929, and this time flew the 10,000 miles in the record time of 12 days 18 hours, and made the first non-stopflight from Australia to Singapore. In Europe they met Fokker, who had designed the machine, and for whom Smithconceived a boundless admiration. The regard was mutual, for Fokker helped the flyers immensely with cash, as well as byreconditioning the aircraft completely in his factory. To fly the Atlantic Smith chose a Dutch co-pilot. EvertVan Dyk, but his east to west crossing, like all which had preceded it, was not wholly successful. Compass trouble sentThe Southern Cross far off its course, and a landing on New- foundland was necessary. However, when they eventuallyarrived on Oakland municipal airfield, the great old aircraft had added circumnavigation of the globe to its other feats. Smith returned to England by sea, to take delivery of theAvro sports biplane he had ordered and attack the two-year- old solo flight record for 15J days from England to Australiaheld by the Australian pilot Bert Hinkler. He was as suc- cessful with the small aircraft as he had been with the bigone, and covered the 10,000 miles in less than 10 days. A.N.A. then began its regular air service from the Australian main-land, Kingsford Smith making the first flight in The Southern Cloud. The Southern Cross went on to regular service and mailflying on various Australian runs. Then the luck turned. The Southern Cloud was lost, andno trace of it or any of its crew or passengers has yet been found. Smithy and his associates made an air search thatcost thousands of pounds, and almost crippled their finances. World-wide depression in the early 1930s trippled them alto-gether, and Australian National Airways virtually closed up. To earn a living, Kingsford Smith had to take the old SouthernCross barnstorming around Australia, offering joyrides to all and sundry.' Neither let the other down, and they made.money. But it was poor work for a man and aircraft after all they had done- Christmas Postman In emergency circumstances in 1931, he flew the SouthernStar with Christmas mails from Australia to England in 13 J •lays and back in 11 days. But even by then there was no;ertain prosperity in flying. When Charles Kingsford Smith ivas knighted, in June, 1932, he was once more in the oldSouthern Cross earning a precarious living taking thrill-seekers for rides from country showgrounds all over Australia.Bestowal of a title on a " barnstormer " was explored in some quarters, but the nation applauded, and only deplored theapparent lack of better work foi such a man. In 1932 Sir Charles Kingsford Smith met Capt. P. G.Taylor, who was to play a noteworthy part in his most amazing adventure, and in 1933 they teamed-up to take TheSouthern Cross over the Tasman again. For several months they exhibited the grand old aircraft and took joyriders upin her in the Dominion, but by October Smithy was back in Australia and once more in the cockpit of the Percival Gullin a record flight to England. He secured the solo record in 7 days 4 hours 43 minutes. The great England-Australia air race, with which theCentenary of the State of Victoria was celebrated in 1934, was a great disappointment to Smithy. After the usual finan- cial troubles he secured a magnificent aircraft for Taylor andhimself to fly. It was the Lockheed Altair Lady Southern Cross, with which ne immediately broke six cross-countryrecords in Australia. But when he was ready to leave for England an engine-cowling cracked and, because there wasno time' for repairs, put him out of the running. Bitterly disappointed, he and Taylor flew the Altair to the United Statesfor sale, and Kingsford Smith went back to taking people for 10s. rides in The Southern Cross. The fine old monoplane made its last ocean flight in May,1935. Smith and Taylor had fulfilled an ambition to in- augurate a regular airmail service across the Tasman fromAustralia tc New Zealand, and at 12.25 a.m. they took off for the Dominion in the heavily laden machine. All went welluntil 7 a.m., when they were 650 miles from the Australian coast, and when only Smithy's quickness at the controls pre-vented utter disaster as a piece of the exhaust pipe of one engine fell off and was swept into the airscrew of the starboard engine,from which it removed a piece measuring 9 inches by 12 inches and weighing 15 ounces. The Last Flight Kingsford Smith cut the engine before it destroyed itselfand probably the rest of the aircraft, turned around, and began to limp back towards the Australian coast on two engines.From then on the flight was a life-and-death struggle, with the machine often onlj ten feet above the sea, and its skipperholding out until the last possible moment before dumping the mails At full revs to keep flying, the other engines laboured hardand used more oil than normally from the tanks directly ovei them. At 8.55 a.m. the port engine started to knock as itsoil supply decreased, and by 12.12 p.m. the crew estimated that it would keep only for a quarter of an hour. Frantiiradio messages told the authorities the exact position of The Southern Cross so that searching craft could come out, andas the news went through public broadcasting networks thousands of listening Australians mentally bade farewell toSmithy. * But at 12.54 P-nl- Capt. P. G. Taylor saved the aircraft andits crew by an act of sustained heroism which has rarely been equalled. While the aiicraft plunged on, just above the crestsof the waves, he climbed barefooted out along a narrow strut to the silent starboard engine and drained some oil from itstank into his thermos flask. Then he climbed through the cabin and out on to a similar strut to port, from which hecould pour the vital liquid into the tank on that side. Six times he made this perilous journey, and on the last trip histhermos flask broke. " Bill Taylor is world's greatest hero," radio operator Jack Stacnage wrote in his log, and transmittedto shore stations. * A few months ago, mechanics now working on the machinelocated a piece of Capt. Taylor's flask in the port oil tank. That wild flight endf*d the active life of The Southern Cross.A few weeks later the " Old Bus " was flown from Sydney to Canberra, where it was housed for nine years. Five months later ended the life of the monoplane's pilot,Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, when he was only 38 years old, and, probably, the greatest of all long-distance flying pioneers.Fittingly, the 1945 test-flight crew included, as pilot, Wing Cdr. G. H. Purvis, who often flew with Smithy on barnstorm-ing tours, and, as co-pilot, Smithy's nephew, Wing Cdr. John Kingsford Smith, an Australian air ace of World War II. CANADIAN PILOTS' LICENCEST HE Canadian Civil Aviation Division of the Department ofTransport have announced that pilots who have their Service wings may obtain civilian licences without flying testsand with some of the written tests also eliminated. Proof of Service flying qualifications must be furnished to-gether with a certified copy of the final medical report prior to release from the Service. Three passport-size photographs mustaccompany the application. For Limited Commercial Pilots' tickets all flying tests willbe waived and the only examinations required will be on Air Regulations, Traffic Rules and Information Circulars. Application for a Public Transport Pilot's Licence is alsoadmitted without flying tests with the exception of those for instrument flying. The Department of National Defence forAir will, where applicable, give a certificate of competency following a practical test which will be acceptable in lieu ofthe instrument flying test. R.C.A.F. pilots are advised to complete arrangements forthe above tests before their release from the Service, $nd pilots intending to apply for Commercial or Transport licences shouldarrange for a special Air Force medical examination, includnig electro-cardiograph, before being discharged from the Service. R.N.Z.A.F. RELEASESN EW ZEALAND'S Ministei of Defence, Mr. Jones, said in arecent statement that some 3,000 members of the R.N.Z.A.F. would be returning home in the next few months,and that about 2,000 ground crew personnel would also be released from New Zealand stations. Two flying trainingstations in the South Island would close, but these changes would not reduce full-scale Air Force operations in the Pacific. Three N.Z. squadrons will remain with the R.A.F. plus asmall number of aircrew with operational experience whom the R.A.F. may still require. Two of the squadrons will undertakegarrison duty in Europe for a short period, after which the men will return to the Dominion, and the third squadron—aheavy bomber unit—will join the "war against Japan under R.A.F. command. The great majority of New Zealand airmen will, therefore,be returning home to the islands, leaving about 1,100 serving with the Royal Air Force, which number will be still furtherreduced when the two squadrons in Europe are released. Mr. Jones also stated that personnel with long operatynalservice would be released if they so desired. Those wherhad little or no operational flying and whose training was suitablewould be available for R.N.Z.A.F. service in the Pacific.
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