Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-10

aboard ship would have to be sent
down into that territory well in ad
vance; every airplane part that might
be called upon for use would have to
be planted" in those regions, and un.
doubtedly string of ships would have
to stand duty on the broad expanse of
water. These, however, would be
mere specks in that vast area of the
Pacific, and the chances of navigating
across their bows would be none TOO
favorable, as previous flights have
demonstrated.
Atlantic Route.
An alternative route offers itself via
Hawaii Lieuts. Lester J. Maitland
and Albert F. Hegenberger demon.
strated that the Pacific between San
Francisco and Honolulu could be
crossed. by utilizing small islands
to the westward. either as fueling sta.
tons or navigational guides, airmen
here have no doubt about the prac-
ticabality Of a flight either to Toxic
or to the Philippines. 1t would be re-
garded as the most favorable of the
two. owing to the knowledge of wealth
er conditions in those areas, the fire.
quency Of shipping and the assistance
by radio that could be rendered by
vessels en- route to or from the Orient.
Lastly, but of greater importance
than some of the other points under
consideration, is the matter Of planes.
The threeengined Fokkers and the
single;enGined monoplanes have proved
their worth into the 40 and 81 hour
duration figures. Their tasks called
only for one jump. They were strip
ped OF every article not having a vital
connection with the flight. There was
little habitable space aboard the plane
and the men who flew could we'll at
ford the sacrifice of comfort, mas
much as there was only one long flight
to make.
But with a globe-circling expedi-
ton, with several almost record-break-
ing distance fights on the itinerary,
consideration must be given to the
personnel. Airmen are still divided,
especially in the Navy, on the FEAST
blity of sending land planes out over
broad stretches of water, with nothing
but death before them in the event of
a forced landing. They point to the
nine days the late Comdr. John Rod
gers and his men drifted in the Pacific
aboard the PN-9, holding their own
against the treacherous deep because
of the soundly constructed large and
heavy hull.
There are several planes in exist
ence today that probably could go
around the world by the zig.Zag route
either as a land plane alone or sea-
plane. Likewise it is possible to in
terchange land and water gear, such
as the world flyers did, guaranteeing a
greater degree of safety.
In we'll informed Navy aeronautical
circles it is learned that that branch
falr
flight around the world at it's widest
point unless the odds were over
whelmingly in favor of success. The
Navy now has plans, dust-covered and
discolored, calling for a world flight.
This was to have been undertaken be-
fore the Army popped the project, it
is understood, but either was diScour
aged or cancelled outright through
want of funds.
The misfortunes encountered on the
West Coast-Hawaii nonstop flight
project. commanded by Comdr. ROdg
ers, and the Hampton Roads-Panama
nonstop aerial voyage, commanded
by Comdr. H. T. Bartlett are still
vivid in the minds of naval airman
with respect to long-distance flight
plans. These projects received wide
advertisement before they were at
tempted, and when the respective eX-
petitions failed to reach their goals.
the general public, in the opinion of
airmen, concluded that the objective
was impossible of accomplishment.
The consequence was that long dis.
lance flying at that time received a
hard blow.
Towever, the feasibility of trans.
atlantic and transpacific flying since
having been demonstrated, and once
more reinstated in the minds of the
public. future projects; when under
taken by the services at least. will
be attacked with wave of optimism
based on facts previously studied
which show only success in sight.