Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-21
WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY II, 1919.
LESSONS OF THE FLIGHT

The satisfaction which Americans feel in the fact
that men of their own splendid navy have not only broken
all records for nonstop flight, but have actually covered
the distance between their own continent and the outer
most islands known to Europeans Of the middle ages, will
be Nclouded by a feeling OF deep regret over the disaster
which befell Hawker and Grieve who made such a gal
liant dash for the Irish coast in their little sopwith ma
chine on Sunday. That the Sopwith came to grief 10 GER
tain. as under the best possible circumstances the fuel
which the plane carried could have lasted but a few hours
longer than was necessary to complete the flight. There
remains only the shadow Of a hope that the men Thorn
selves may have escaped with their lives.
The experiences Of this spring, since plans were first
sot under for the attempted crossing Of the ocean, have
seemingly developed no new principles, nor have they
brought to the general public any important information
which was not possessed before. The observations Of the
surviving flyers as to wind currents, fog, possibilities OF
landing. and so forth, will be interesting and valuable.
but what has been done tends chiefly, in a general way,
to emphasize what was already we'll known. namely, that
flying Is still a risky occupation, and flying machines
tricky and unreliable craft whose present possibilities
are very limited.
Counting New York as the starting point Of the sea-
planes. five machines in all essayed the Journey across
the Atlantic. Not one of them made a perfectly success
full trip. The plane which flew from Newfoundland to
the Azores had trouble before reaching Halifax, and was
forced to alight. The other two came down on the way
to the Azores. Hawker and Raynham were on tho New
foundland coast a month awaiting fair conditions. Rayn-
hams machine fell while the start was being made and
he and his companion were injured. Hawker and his
companion, Grieve, disappeared over the eastern horizon
and are not known to have been seen again. Ocean fly
ing, therefore, is something to attract only those Of un-
usually adventurous tastes.
One difficulty to be overcome Is that Of restricted
fuel carrying capacity. The present margin of safety
is too small. Then, before ocean flying can be consid
cred even reasonably safe, the craft must not only be
capable of travelling, but it must be capable Of being
stopped at will, of resuming its Journey under ordinary
conditions, and of remaining in safety under almost any
conditions. A limited train makes nonstop journeys OF
great distances but it can stop anywhere without risk
to passengers. If it could not do this it would be a dan.
5erous contrivance, for conditions may arise at any tins
which make travel impossible.
The airplane must be light, or 1t cannot fly. Light.
ness means fraglity. A fragile structure subjected to the
action of wind and wave is in imminent danger of de-
struction. Hence, while many and varied uses will be
found for the airplane, until sources Of power or meth
DDS OF construction now unknown are discovered, the air.
plane is likely to remain anything but a safe instru-
mentality for general travel.