Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-19
GILES GAS FAILS,
STOPS IN INDIANA
Britisher to Continue Hop to
Australia Immediately,
He Declares.
BY CAPT. FREDERICK A. GILES.
Special Dispatch to The Star and North
American Newspaper Alliance.

American Newspaper AlndnCe.
HOBART, Ind, August 19.-T left
the Detroit Ford airport at 3:15 yes.
terday afternoon on the first leg of
my 11,000mile flight to Wellington,
New Zealand. 1t was raining and the
visibility was bad. / had gone about
a hundred miles when / ran out of
gasoline in my main tank and was
forced to use the reserve. This lasted
me as far as Hobart, Ind, where
made a forced landing in field which
l found to be only Al miles southeast
Of Chicago.
preston that l had 100 gallons of gas
not personally examining the tanks.
Will Continue at Once.
The plane was not damaged and l
will continue my trip as soon as the
Goodwill Messenger is refueled. pro-
ceeding to the West Coast by easy
stages, stopping at Chicago. Omaha.
Cheyenne and Salt Lake City enroute.
The plane has been christened the
Goodwill Messenger, and / trust that
1t will prove to he just that--an envoy
of friendship between the United
States and the Antipodes.
The flight should also prove Of con-
siderable scientific value. Traversing
as 1t does a varied course of II isl
miles under highly divergent flying
conditions, / hope that my flight not
only will aid in popularizing flying
but in serving the ends Of aeronauti-
cal science as well.
Is Flying Light"
shall fly very light" cutting
down weight to an absolute minimum.
] am wearing ordinary street clothes,
carrying no personal articles and
taking no food except some concen-
trated tablets and six quarts of water.
The Hess Bluebird biplane to be used
in the flight is equipped to carry $50
gallons of gasoline and will weigh
when fully loaded 1900 pounds.
The United States Weather Bureau
has promised to provide weather fore
casts for the whole route
In Honolulu l shall probably rest
up for day or two and then hop off
for Brisbane, Australia, 4,L09 miles
away and the longest nonstop flight
yet attempted. I hope to finish this
lap In 4S hours, two days and nights
without sleep.
If my bearings are true and my
NOul DC 0NCAI dtC, l. SIlOuIu StSHL
Island. in the Gilbert Island group,
2 400 miles out of Honolulu. From
there the course takes me ITO miles
farther, to st. Augustine Island, a
small and uninhabited speck of land,
but valuable guide post, neverthe-
less. Another 480 miles and I should
sight Fataka Island, and from there
1t Is 300 miles to the next landmark,
New Hebrides Island. 1t is 400 miles
from New Hebrides Island to French
Reefs, which lie along the north
western end of New Caledonia. If I
should strike bad weather here I may
land at Naomea, capital of New Gale
donia, but only If my gasoline supply
should run short. From here to the
coast Of Australia there is no land.
VIII Cross Tasman Sea.
From Brisbane to Sydney my course
lies along the rocky Australian coast,
but from Sydney. the capital Of New
South Wales, to Wellington the course
again lies over water. The distance
to be covered on the fourth lap is $50
miles, and that Of the fifth is 1859
miles. All but 140 miles of the last
hop is over the Tasman Sea, which
never has been flown over by man.
"A Stuuy Vi ttlS "cdl lliCi cNtl lllC VII
tire course for this period during the
past 20 years has convinced me that
/ will meet my greatest difficulty half
way out on the longest flight. Strong
variable winds are general from
there TO Brisbane, I also expect
trouble on the final hop, for the
weather Is usually squally over the
Tasman Sea at this season.
The main gasoline tank of the ship
has been equipped with a dump valve
SO that it can be opened and closed
again for use as a buoy if I am COM
PEELED to make a forced landing at
sea. BY cutting loose the motor /
should be able to float indefinitely.
My food and water should last three
weeks with rigid economy. But /
have every confidence in my ship
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