Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03
RADIO WILL TELL PROGRESS
OF COURTNEY OCEANIC FLIGHT
Flyer Says Greatest Problem on First Leg
of Transatlantic Round Trip, Head
ing West, Is Wind.

the route of the transatlantic liners,
thus keeping within comparatively
close touch with ships carrying power
full radio apparatus. His own wire
less outfit will have a range of from
COO to 1000 miles. 1t has been esti
mated that at any particular moment
there would be so many ships strung
along the sea lane that any time there
will not be n greater distance than 200
or 900 miles between them. AS n re
suit Capt. Courtney should be within
maximum distance of 100 or $50
miles from some ship at all times.
Thus he will be roaring along
always within reach of a potential
relay station.
When Capt. Courtney sends out a
message to the North American
Newspaper Alliance. 'owever, he will
not be broadcasting it to the world in
general. Each bulletin will be ad.
dressed particularly to the North
American Newspaper Alliance and the
Westminster Gazette. They will be
as exclusive and secret as an ordinary
radio communication. Furthermore.
to insure absolute secrecy. the mes
sages will probably be coded. But
the fact that newspapers on both sides
of the Atlantic must receive this in
formation in the shortest possible
time raised a point which will require
careful organization. The Marconi
officials tentatively have solved the
difficulty.
BY Beam System.
Every message sent from the plane
will be addressed to both the North
American Newspaper Alliance and the
Westminster Gazette, thus saving
time in duplication. The messages
will be split by the Marconi operator
receiving them. whether at shore sta
ton or on ship, one copy being dis.
patched Immediately by the most
expeditions route to New York and
another copy being sent by the quick.
est route to London.
In practice, both messages, although
destined for stations on opposite sides
of the Atlantic, may follow the same
route for time. For instance, if the
plane sent message for relaying to
Il ship that is in communication with
a shore station this ship would send
both messages to that station. one
going directly to the newspapers on
that side and the other being sent
back across the Atlantic on the power.
1ul beam system. The shore station
in England would probably be the
Devlzes station and that in the United
states the Chatham station.
Dotted With Ships.
At least 90 per cent of all ships
along the route to be followed bv
capt. Courtney have Marconi oper.
ators. If, for some unexpected reason,
the flyer should go to the north of
the regular routes, even then they
should be within sending distance OF
smaller cargo ships able to relay n
others. Marconi officials call atten.
ton to the fact that at all times the
routes along the North Atlantic are
dotted with ships. each one a potential
sending or relay station. 1t was also
pointed out that the radio operator
or the plane would not send his mes.
sage generally. but would first call a
particular ship and transmit by that
operator. All Marconi operators are
being instructed about the flight and
Will be ready to deal with Cant.
Courtney's messages.
In case Of an emergency, as long as
the planes wireless is good there will
be no difficulty in keeping up contact
with the world. If great haste were
necessary. it was pointed out, ad
dressed messages might be broadcast
with a request to forward them. No
bulletins will be broadcast unless 1t is
matter of great emergency.
Copyright. 1927. in all countries but
GREAT Britain. by North American Newspaper
Alliance; In Great Britain by Westminster