New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-02

conducted in midOCcan, would hardly be a simple
affair The natural tendency, besides, will be this:
Once man is in the air with his motor motors run
ming well and the shore behind him. he will feel that he
wants to fly steadily on to keep at the task till it IS
done to risk nothing that may break his spell OF luck.
What is favored in fact-and favored think rightly,
in view Of the hazardous nature OF the schemes
bold bid for victory with reasonably fast machine,
and in a single flight
THERE is a factor in the problem to which have
not yet referred although it is almost as vital as the
endurance of motor and this is the uncertainty of the
weather.
In any flight today and with any type of aircraft,
the question of wind direction may arise Head winds
may reduce the pace Of fast machine to that OF slow
oRe; a side wind, pressing constantly upon his craft,
may drive pilot from his course; while wind ascrn,
should he be fortunate enough to obtain one may add
many miles an hour to his flying speed. 1t is sound
policy always, in a long distance flight, for an airman
to await favorng wind.
Timetables OF coursc-albeit provisional oneS-havc
been drawn ~ for the flying Of the Atlantic and in all
of them the wind made to play its part There IS in
regard to this flight, reason to assume that the
wind may prove helpful. During the summer months
it has been shown that the wind, blowing away
from the coast of North America eastward toward
Northern Europe. The prevalence OF such a wind IS,
indeed rather more than sporting chance: it has
been proved time and again, that such trend does
exist; although sometimes 1t may, IN actual direction,
be rather to the south of eastward So working upon his
time schedule the would-bc competitor may say:
Il shall reckon a following wind, while / am IN the
air Of from thirty to thirty-ivc miles an hour. This
means that if the strength Of the wind is added to the
normal speed OF my machine, shall be flying not at
sixty miles an hour but at ninety. So the flight can
be made in twenty hours instead Of thirty and shall not
be in danger Of running short Of petrol as might other
wise have BEEN in the last few hours before landing
OF course pilot, in calculating deliberately that he
will be aided by the wind, has nothing more than
averages upon which to build. The wind blows as
rule like this Occasionally, however, 1t vecrs south
west instead Of west and this would mean that an
aeropane might be thrust slightly from its course But
here no doubt the aviator would observe, I'VE should
not risk starting in a fuly wind. Having everything
ready and the machine trimmed 70 start at moment
call we should wait till the trend seen to be favor
able and quite steady
This stills criticism 70 the extent that, at the start Of
their fight at any rate, the pilots would without
question be aided by the wind but 1t does not remove
the possibility that perhaps after they had been hours
in the air the wind might and blow sde|se across
their path Such a contingency Of course would not
spell Disaster but it might serious reduction IN
speed and the flying perhaps Of many needless miles,
through the machine being driven of its course.
THERE IS another risk in regard to the weather.
gravcr one than would be occasioned by any change