Making Trouble.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 69, 23 April 1929, Page 7

Making Trouble.

The Fears Of An Experienced Alrman. ,rriio following is taken from The Aeroplane, an Englisli jieriodical, published six we'eks prior to tlie start of I Squadron-Leader Kingsford-Smitli's illj fated attempt to flv to England : — I "IMr King.sford-Smith and Mr Ulm are now said to have eompleted their arrangements for the flight from Sydney to London in their Fokkcr monoplane Southern Cross. "They hope to completo the flight in thirteen days, flying by way of -Wyndham, Singapore, Rangoon, Allalialiad, Karachi, Baghdad and London. "Mr Kingsford-Smith has in interviews in Sydney done his best to make tlie peoplo's flesh creep by visualising all sorts of hidden dangers in the flight. He says that lieavy rain at Wyndham might delay the start, that there is the possibility of meeting much raiir and tropical storms over Java, that it will be necessary to he wary in dodging mountain peaks in this region, that there is a prohability of worrying storms until they reach Calcutta, and so 011. "After his Pacifio flight, during which he apparently met andcoiifounded every kind of atmospheric clemoii it is ohvious that Mr Kingsford-Smith is mucli too good a pilot to he rcally concerned with possibilities. "Tho Pacific Flight was a magnifieent pionecr fiight, hut tlie England-Aus-tralia air route 1ms heen flown over several times and most of its liazards are fairly well known and can be avoided, even if it moans po.stponing the flight to suit weather conditions. "Now tliat there are no more routes to pioneer the prineipal funetion of the long-distanee flyer is to dcmonstrate the safety, comfort, and speed of air travcl. Talking ahout problematie, lieavy rains, worvying stonns, tropieal rain, efc., savours too mucli of tho 'intrepid birdman' in search of jiersonal glory at tlie expense of tho reputarion of aerial travol for eomfort and safetv."