New Britain herald., 1927-07-08
GREAT WELCOME IS
 PLANNED FOR FIVE WHO FLEW 0VERSEA
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embarks on the Lev1athan, on {. which Commander Byrd and his crew also are returning to the United States.
 Goodbye to Paris.
 Le Bourget, France. July 5 R- Clarence D. Chamberlin. New York to-Germany flier. said goodbye to France today when he piloted the transatlantic Bellanca monoplane Columbia, probably for the last time, into the air from the civil fly ing field here. headed for London.
 Beside him sat Maurice Drouhin, French long distance flier. who If all goes we'll. vii fly the Columbia over the Atlantic and back to Roosevelt Field. New York, some time in August in the first nonstop westward transatlantic hop.
 Charles A. Levine. owner Of the plane, who will accompany Drouhn in the attempt, also went along on today's hop. He had found a few inches of space just enough to let him lie down comfortably. on the gasoline tank. The start was made at 13:3O p. m.
 Two Imperial Airways machines acted as escorts. looking for all the world like big dragon flies with newly matched fledgling. the Colu1n- bia, following along behind.
 There was only small crowd at the field, for the weather was wet and unpleasant. Among them was tho American charge d'affaires. Sheldon Whitehouse, who came out some time before the start to say good bye to Chamberlin and then hurried back to Paris for the lunch con he gave in honor of Command CT Byrd and his companions.
 Mrs. Chamberlin and Mrs. :. Levine waved encouragement to their husbands and the former took an Imperial Airways machine to follow the Columbia to Croydon Field. London. Mrs. Levine did not 70.
 Before starting, Drouhin told the Associated Press he was most hap py at the opportunity to pilot the columbia on the return transatlan- tic flight.
 T am delighted" he said. "Of course, would have preferred to go in my own plane with Lebrix, my own navigator, but 1t would take much longer to get my machine ready to tune up than the Bellanca plane"
 He said he would start some time in August, after the arrival of John Carisi, chief mechanician Of the company thar built the Columbia, who Is bringing spare parts.
 Drouhin was at Le Bourget early to kive the Columbia a thorough lookover SO that he might benefit all possible from the information to be given him concerning the operation of tho machine by Cham berlin in today's flight.
 "It is a beautiful machine" he said. T don't think will have the slightest trouble with her. Between now and tho time of the hop-off, l am going to fly her as much as possible and learn everything there is to know about her."
 Drouhin said he would rather not discuss the actual plans of the flight, remarking: we really haven't got down to the fine points yet"
 Just what route he will take Is also undetermined. but 1t is known that in his conversations with Com- mander Byrd the possibility was discussed of his going much farther south than any of the previous flierA.
 It is recalled that the greatest difficulty of Cautains Nungesser ana Coli was to strike time when the weather on the coast of Newfound- land was settled. The majority Of French airmen believe they were brought down by an unexpected slet storm that ragged of the New foundland Banks on the second day of their ill-fated journey.
 It has been suggested that Drou- hin might steer course just to the north of the Azores and strike the American coast at the southern tip | of Nova Scotia rather than the points farther north crossed by Lindbergh and Byrd.
 In saying his farewells in Paris. Chamberlin was reticent and seemed almost downcast that he was about to take his last flight in the plane ' that had carried him across the ! ocean to | new worlds distance record. |
 When cameramen asked him to | pose with Levine and Drouhin in . front of the plane, he retorted: l am not going to make the transat- lantic flight: I am just going to do the dirty work" Then he grinned ! widely. and took his place with the others"
 Date Not Fixed
 Paris, July 8 P,-Maurice Drou- hin, former holder of airplane en- durance record, will fly the trans atlantic plane Columbia on the homeward trip to New York with Charles A. Levine. The date of the flight has not yet been fixed. but if everything goes well, it is likely a start will be made within three weeks. It was said today that Droughin contemplates taking the Columbia even farther than New York.
 Mir. Levine announced the sign ing of a contract with Drouhin, when friends in the early hours of this morning pressed him to reveal his plans.
 Drouhin will get his first and only lesson from Clarence D. Chamberlin, who ploted the Columbia on the flight from New York to Germany, when the three men fly across the English Channel to the Croydon air drome, near London, this afternoon. Chamberlin will do his best to show the French ace how tO handle the