Omaha daily bee., 1921-11-27
2 Aviators
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British Fliers Plan Flight
Around World, One East
To West, Other West
To East.
Prizes May Be Offered
By CAPT. CLAUDE R. COLLINS.
Aeronautical Expert Of Universal Service.

BY CAPT. CLAUDE R. COLLINS.
AcronauticaI Expert of Universal Service.
New York, Nov. 26.-Within the
next two months several attempts
will be made to fly around the world.
At least two of numerous British
projects for the leap around the
| globe, under consideration for some
time, will hop off shortly.
Sir Ross Smith heads one OF the
expeditions. The principle other
British project will be a big flying
boat, backed by an aircraft manu-
featuring concern.
Either attempt will be in the do
main of an adventure and is hardly
expected to throw any real light
on the problem of flight. Success
will, however, prove highly credit
able for aircraft, and the aviators
manning them. OF more advance in
terest is the selection Of the probable
routes to be followed with reference
to seasons and prevailing winds.
Fly East to West.
One of the first questions to be de-
cided by these expeditions is whether
the circuit of the planet shall be
from east to west or from west 20
cast. Sir Ross Smith, who will fly
two-motored Vickers-Napier am
phibian, and will be accompanied by
his brother and Sergeant Bennett,
who were with him on his flight to
Australia has decided to make the
flight eastward.
He proposes to follow his London
Australia route as far as Calcutta,
from where he will travel north
east, by the Asiatic shore of the Pa
cific, to the Arctic Circle, crossing
to Alaska, and then fly by way OF
British Columbia and the Great
Lakes. He intends to visit New
York, then return northward to
Nova Scotia, from where he will
hop across the Atlantic to England
One of his chief aims will be to
avoid India monsoons and to
choose a period during which the
generally fogbound northern Pacific
Is CICdTtQ VI lIIlS 1lIC1dCC.
The other flying boat project will
fly in the opposite direction, west
ward, following the northwest trades
north of the Equator. FROM England
this expedition would fly to Lisbon;
the Azores; America, San Francisco
and again on the trade winds pro-
ceed, via Honolulu or Crusce Island.
to Jaluit, Guam and Manila. An
alternative would be to cross the
American continent at the north, via
the Great Lakes, and follow the
Aleutian Islands and the Asiatic side
OF the Pacific.
Long Separate Stages.
Apart from crossing in the ex-
treme north there is possible route
south of the Behring sea where the
greatest separate stage would be
between Unalaska and Petrayav-
locsk, 1860 miles, and thence to
Yokohama, 1880 miles. This, how
ever, would almost certainly be
taken from west to east, on account
of the prevailing winds.
On the Honolulu Jaluit line, the
greatest distances are from San
Francisco to Honolulu, 1000 sea
miles, and Honolulu Jaluit, 2,130 sea
miles. The greatest sea distance
heretofore flown was the 1850 sea
miles by Sir John Alcock. That was
by an ordinary land-type airplane.
Portuguese, who have chosen
British seaplane, are considering a
round-theworld project, flying the
Atlantic from east to west.
The international Air Congress,
soon to meet in Paris, will consider
the advisability of establishing a
competition for round-the- globe
flight The Aero Club of America
recently considered such a competi-
tive flight, but the project never
materialized.