Evening star., 1927-09-06
Hill and Bertaud, Favored by
Good Weather, Take Off
From Old Orchard.
NEW RADIO EQUIPMENT
INSTALLED ON PLANE
Wood and Schiller in Doubt as to
Plans for Continuing Trip
to Windsor.

By the Associated Press.
OLD ORCHARD, Me, September s.
The plane Old Glory. bound for
Rome, took off from the beach here at
1928 pm, Eastern standard time, to-
day.
The plane carried three men. A
nonstop flight was planned J. u.
Hill won the toss of the coin from his
co-pilot, Lloyd Bertaud, and took his
seat at the controls. The giant ship
rolled easily down the beach at the
start, gradually gaining momentum.
After about a mile and a half the
wheels left the ground and Old Glory
rose slowly but steadily, into the air
There was a margin of at least a
mile between the take-off point and
Old Orchard pier, which crosses the
beach. Hill bore out over the water
and passed the end of the pier with a
few hundred feet altitude. He kept
on away south. before swinging off
and taking his course.
Payne Passenger i'm Plane.
A few minutes later the Old Glory
was speck on the horizon as she
gained speed and altitude rapidly, with
helping wind of Is miles from the
southwest.
Phil" Payne, representative Of Will
liam Randolph Hearst. who is sponsor
ing the flight, was the last to. enter
the plane before the take.off. While
Hill and Bertaud were climbing into
the cockpit, he had raced back to kiss
good-by once more his wife Dorothy.
Relatives and friends of all the flyers
had gathered around the plane several
hours before.
Last minute weather reports,
which continued to be entirly favor.
able. were given the men by James H.
Scarr of the New York Weather Blu.
reau, on the basis of telegraphic re.
ports from both sides.
Final Tests Are Made.
The plane was run down the beach
at II o'clock to Pine Point, two and
a half miles north of Jones' hangar
its landing place here upon arrival
from Roosevelt Field Saturday night
and the engine was turned over for a
final ground test of the radio.
Word was sent to the Hotel Bruins.
wick for the sandwiches and other
food already prepared and to get
Lloyd Bertaud. one of the pilots, who
had remained there.
Mechanics had gone all over the
plane before that hour and pronounced
it ready to go.
The plan was to run Old Glory down
along the beach in a southernly -direc.
ton, using about a mile of the beach,
and to be in the air before reaching
Old Orchard proper
The tide was we'll out and the hard.
packed sand furnished good going.
There was fairly brisk southwest
wind into which the plane would head
on the take-off, which would help lift
the load. The sun was out and there
was perfect visibility, with the late
weather reports that all would be
favorable for the hop to Europe.
New Radio Installed.
New radio equipment installed on
the Old Glory consists of an auxiliary
sending apparatus which is entirely
self-contained Should trouble arise
and the plane be forced down, this ap.
paratus would continue to send SOS
calls automatically on the standard
length of 600 meters.
Plans for the Royal Windsor's flight
seemed indefinite. In view of the fuel
situation in Newfoundland, Duke
Schiller and phil Wood were still in
doubt as to whether they would move
over to Old Orchard and take on fuel
sufficient to carry them to Windsor.
England.
In spite of the fact that last night
they had announced they would hop
off soon after dawn, by midafternoon
they were still unready to set definite
hour for their departure.