Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-02
LESSONS IN SAFETY
SEEN IN BYRD FEAT
Safeguards in Long-Distance
Flying Proven, Aviation
Leaders Declare.

Dy tue ASsOtIdLeu ETesS.
NEW YORK, July 2.-Invaluable
lessons in safety of transatlantic
flights of the future and a new adj.
vance in all aerial navigation were
hailed today as the fruits of Comdr.
Byrd's victory over the fog and storms
of the Atlantic in his flight to France.
Despite the forced landing of the
giant monoplane America at the end
of long battle against almost every
form of adverse weather, leaders in
aerial navigation said the voyage
would encourage rather than discour-
age future transoceanic air journeys.
Some Of the lessons seen by aviation
leaders were:
That an air liner could fly thousands
of miles over land and sea and under
dangerous weather conditions with
out forfeiting life.
That one of the greatest safeguards
in long-distance flying was a surplus
fuel supply large enough to keep a
plane aloft until an emergency landing
field could be found.
That flights over vast distances
could be accomplished despite defec-
tive navigating instruments, and that
important work still remains to be
done in perfecting electrical equip
ment of airplanes.
FCklier Sees Increased Safety.
Anthony III. G. Fokker, builder Of
the America, said the radio com.
munication maintained by the plane
with ships and land stations had
proved an increase of 100 per cent in
the factor of air safety.
Suppose he had been forced down
at sea-" Mr.. Fokker said. "a few
flashed words of his exact position
and every ship within range would
have turned and steamed at full speed
to the spot
Byrd and his crew accomplished
everything they set out to do" de-
clared Rodman Wanamaker, sponsor
of the flight. He described the flight
as 1.-The greatest air battle of the
world
James H. Kimball, assistant me-
teorologist of the Government
Weather Bureau, who compiled the
weather reports for the expedition,
termed the flight one Of hard luck,
''but tremendously successful from
the meteorological point of view"
Floyd Bennett, who accompanied
Comdr. Byrd to the North Pole and
who was put out of the America flight
by injuries in test fight, said: ut
was simply impossible for Dick to land
at lie Bourget under such weather
conditions. He showed great wisdom
in doing just what he did,"
Reliability Demonstrated.
Capt. Rene Fonck, French war ace,
now preparing for his second attempt
to fly from New York to Paris, said:
''The failure of Comdr. Byrd and his
splendid fellow aviators to land at lie
Bourget will not discourage other
flyers from trying to cross the ocean
by air. 1t has demonstrated the relia
bility of modern planes, engines and
equipment"
Harry Guggenheim, president Of the
Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Pro
motion of Aeronautics, said:
1.-THE flight of the America I regard
as the fOrerunner of other commercial
| flights on regular schedule, carrying
| passengers and mail to and fro across
the Atlantic"
+. Trubee Dawson, Assistant Secre-
| tary of War, commented:
1.-THE big point is that he BYRD
was able to navigate across the Allan
| tic without having anything to take
bearings on and in bad weather all
the way"