The Navigation

25th Anniversary Of An Epic Pacific Flight The Navigation Was By Guess And By God

venty-five years ago this th the late Australian aviator Charles Kingsford Smith and ain (now Sir) Gordon Tay flying the American Lock aircraft Lady Southern s, set up an aviation record h has never been broken, record: A west to east trans [ic flight from Australia to United States in a single led aircraft.

THE first single-engined west bound flight was in fact made only this year, when a ferry pilot brought an aircraft from America to Sydney for delivery.

In a way “Smithy’s” flight was accidental. He planned to enter the great England-Australia air race— won by Captain C. W. A. Scott— but for technical reasons the con trollers would not pass his American aircraft for that event—so Smithy decided that he would show them anyway that his machine was equal to the task, by flying the Pacific instead and establishing a record of his own. He had, of course, made the west bound flight in another aircraft, Southern Cross, six years earlier. 1934 was the year of the Lind bergh kidnapping, the Morro Castle fire, the Piccard balloon ascent into the stratosphere—and Fiji’s diamond jubilee as a British colony.

Fence Removed

The flight actually commenced from Sydney on October 19, but the departure from Brisbane was de layed until 4 a.m. on October 21.

East of New Caledonia, as the plane winged its way through rain and thick cloud, preparations were being made at Albert Park, Suva. Part of the fence at the seaward end of the park was removed, as were telephone and electric power lines.

Floodlights were rigged on Victoria Parade facing inland, and a num ber of cars were lined up at the other end of the park facing sea ward to be used as sources of illum ination should the arrival take place after dark. Captain Fenton, a World War I aviator, was in charge of these preparations. , Fortunately, the lights were not necessary. Just after 6 p.m. Lady Southern Cross was sighted coming in from seaward. Passing close to the town side of the Grand Pacific Hotel, Smithy made two circuits before setting the aircraft down to a perfect landing. Captain reported that he had obtained on y a brief sight of the sun late in the afternoon, and that the navigat had been mainly “by guess and by God”. What ever it was, it was good.

Lady Southern Cross", first single-engined aircraft to cross the Pacific. "Smithy" is at the controls.

Gordon Taylor, who made that flight 25 years ago with "Smithy".

; were no radio aids in those

Beach Take-Off

the take-off the aircraft was across to Naselai beach, as t Park was out of the question the heavy load of gasoline re -1 for the next leg. er rounds of entertainment, delays through weather, the ift took the air again from ai at 6.10 a.m., on October 29, i Birnie Island, in the Phoenix 3, at 3.10 p.m. Suva time —and id safely at Wheeler Field, ii, at 7.22 a.m. Honolulu time a.m. Fiji time) next morning, i was thought of a landing at mg en route, but the weather nted It. ; flight almost ended in dis at 11.40 p.m. when, in weather conditions, Smithy mtally knocked the flap-con switch without realising that .d done so. This had the effect illing the aircraft and putting nto a spin. The trouble was k! only after some thousands st of elevation had been lost. :1 for only 25 minutes of flying ned in the tanks on touch ; final stage of the east-bound ng was on November 4-5. The off took place at 2.15 p.m. and e landing was made at Oak- Cal., 15 hours and 20 minutes That sounds simple but mid be considered a notable :-engine flight even today after irter-century of amazing pro in aviation.

OTNOTE : Sir Gordon was not ible at his Sydney office in >er when PIM phoned to re him of the anniversary. He n America on one of his many ess visits.

\ Look What's Happened

To Air Traffic Since

erseas air traffic to and from increased substantially during rear ended March 31 last, e latest Trade Report, re y published, shows that 29,228 mgers in transit —arriving and rting by the same aircraft — registered. This was an in le of 4,367 on the previous year, tionally, 15,555 passengers id and did not depart by the ; aircraft, and 16,342 persons the Colony by air in addition loss classed as in transit. These increases of 1,711 and 1,775 re :ively. le freight set down in Fiji from seas amounted to 1,129,504 lbs — .0,896 lbs. The freight uplifted led 604,446 lbs—down 27,602 presumably because of the lit squeeze” on imports, le number of aircraft arriving departing was 1,873 —up 110 on 1957-58 year.