San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-31
Naval Air Chief
Says Flight Epochal
By CAPTAIN ALFRED w
JOHNSON, u. S. N.
Acting Chief. United States Bureau Of
Naval Aeronautics.

Naval Aeronautics.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 31.-Three
navy seaplanes will take off from San
Francisco bay Monday, bound for
Honolulu, in the longest, continuous
flight over water ever attempted
distance of POO miles.
Success of this enterprise will mean
that airplanes, in case Of need, could
be transported under their own power
from the west coast Of the United
States TO the important Hawaiian
base in twenty-four hours. Otherwise,
being shipped aboard surface vessels,
il would take a week TO get them
there.
Other practical benefits may il
time follow from this demonstration.
If these planes can fly from San Fran
cisco 10 Hawaii, it would indicate that
they could continue westward and,
using the intervening islands, fly on
to the Philippines.
PASSENGER LINE SEEN.
For that matter, were they TO con-
tinue on, around the world, they
would not have TO make any other sim
gle flight as long as the one they en-
bark upon today.
While the present airplanes, loaded
as they will be with fuel, could not
carry any commercial or military car.
go, We do not believe that they repre-
sent the ultimate in the development
Of heavier than-air craft.
II is within the bounds Of posi-
bility that a time will come when air
planes may transport passengers and
freight over the same route and using
the same methods Of navigation the
navy aviators viii follow today.
NAVIGATION IMPORTANT.
From our point Of view. one of the
most interesting features of this oper.
alton is the fact that the flyers will
be forced to rely TO a great extent on
navigation, by means Of celestial OBJ
to reach their destination.
The longest previous flight ever
made b. such navigation was that Of
the two Portuguese aviators from the
Azores 10 Lisbon. The army world
fliers steered by dead reckoning only,
when out of sight Of land.
In the flight of the navy's NC4
plane, across the Atlantic, astronom-
ical observations were used to some
extent but were not depended upon
rs they will be in the Hawaiian
Tight.
The NC planes followed course
outlined by a series of destroyers,
only 65 miles apart.
SHIPS ARE SPACED
Such station ships" are also being
used in the present flight but they are
spread out at 2O0-mile intervals.
Thus, from the time one of the de-
stroyers drops out of sight, IL will be
approximately two and one-half hours
before the next in line come into view.
The success Of the Hawaiian flight
depends upon three factors-endur-
lDce, navigation and weather.
The three seaplanes have been test
ID and their engines have demon
,trsted that they have the necessary
power and can get enough miles to
he gallon 20 make the flight.
The motor Of an airplane is like the
heart of the human body. IL it does
not fail the body can keep on moving
and IL there is no failure in the power
plant Of these big flying boats their
motors will drive them across the 81
of longitude that lie be.
tween San Francisco and Honolulu.
MUST FLY STRAIGHT
To score a touchdown in the thrill
ing game the pilots will have TO fly
heir planes unerringly across the
100 miles Of ocean, straight on to the
stands and between the goal posts
It the entrance Of Pearl harbor.
The pilots will have no coast line
% guide them. no rivers 10 follow. no
or automobile highways to
mark their course.
They must rely solely on sstro-
lomical observations and on the accu.
racy Of their dead reckoning. Unless
the weather is clear they cannot oh
serve the sun or stars for latitude
and longitude or to determine the On
pass error.
As much skill is required in using
the scxtant in an airplsne as on the
deck Of a shin at sea. but the facili-
ties for working out sights in the
cockpit of an airplane are not as con-
venient as those 20 be had in the pilot
house Of a well found ship. II the
weather is not clear. the pilots viii
have TO rely solely upon dead reckon
ing.
MUST ESTIMATE DRIFT.
The direction and velocity Of the
wind and the air speed Of the planes
must be measured with the greatesr
accuracy, or the flyers viii be unable
10 determine the course and distance
made good and would fail TO pick up
the destroyers or 10 mike the landfall
1T the end Of the flight.
The planes are so constructed that
they can land on the surface Of the
- militant hnrnra In -. - Il.