New Britain herald., 1929-07-08
Hundreds Watch TtakeOff

winged out over the Atlantic on us long deferred flight for Rome.
 At daybreak. there was a light drizzle and filmy haze hung over the long natural runway: but the air men did not expect to have their plans blocked by local weather con- ditions.
 Although the latest report from pr. James H. kimball, New York meteorologist, told of a fog bank extending over the first 1000 miles of their course, they said they would be willing to risk this handicap in view of the fact that flying condi- tions beyond that area were favor able.
 Mrs. Yancey Smiling
 Mrs. Yancey was wearing a blue silk dress with white lace collar. a blue cloque hat tan stockings, and low black shoes. Around her neck was a string of pearls and pinned to her dress was a white car nation.
 T guess they're going this time" she said with a radiant smile. It was 6:30 a. m. when the airmen and their companions reached the beach. Twenty minutes previously, mechanics had completed the work of placing 800 gallons of fuel aboard the Pathfinder.
 Some of the mechanics already had inspected the natural runway. and they informed Williams and Yancey that the tides had smoothed out the rough spots and that the beach was suitable for the take-off.
 Change Projected Course
 Lieut.. Melka made a short flight over the sea and reported on his re- turn that the fog bank mentioned in Dr. Kimball's report was 1000 feet high in some places.
 Williams and Yancey indicated that in view of this fact they prob ably would pursue a coastlne course during the first part of their flight in an effort to gain sufficient altitude to clear the fog.
 Expect 5O-Hour Trip
 'The 500 gallons of fuel that we're taking should keep us aloft 54 hours." Yancey said
 we expect to make Rome in 4; to 50 hours Over the first six mile: of our course we will use a fuel mix. ture of so per cent gasoline and 2t per cent benzol. gradually decreasing the benzol content until. at the sev enth mile, we will be using cleal gasoline. This plan should give u. better lifting power"
 The plane reached the startin. point at Pine Point, a mile and ; half north of the Jones hangar, a FPS a. m. The motor was left run ming while police details began clear ing the beach of spectators Lookers-on who had fingered a the hangar were hardly able to SC, the distant plane through the low lying haze. The Pathfinder's wing almost blended with the haze.
 Auto Sinks in Sand
 Arrangements for the take of were delayed when an automobile in which spectators were riding o1 the beach, sank in the sand almos in the middle of the natural run way.
 The machine was down to it wheel hubs, and it was evident tha several minutes would be required to extricate it.
 Shortly before a. m.. the haz began to thicken, but Yancey said 1 would not seriously interfere witt the take-off.
 Belief that the Pathfinder migh not be able to get off because of tn soft beach grew when Lieutenan Malka's amphibian while taxing { its starting position, sank in tn sand.
 The stranded automobile was sti fast in the sand and the natural run , way appeared effectively blocke } temporarily.
 7 1 Added to this difficulty. the ligh ] haze hanging the beach wa
 gradually being displaced by 10 - sweeping in from the sea. , Williams and Yancey were still de l termined 10 start, however. l Shortly after a. m. both the au } tomoble and Melka's plane were eX 3 tricated and the coast guard lieuten l ant attempted a take-off. It was t. false start, however, one of tn
 wheels of his plane again sticking 1 f the sand.
 , Workmen were busy on the beacf , marking with white lines the TUT I way which the Pathfinder was to fol t low. The fog was so thick that sue l action was advisable, it was said. , Lieutenant Melka's plane wa
 again freed from the sand and 2
 S:10 he got away to a perfect take l off.
 Take-OH Is Perfect :, The Pathtinder's take-off was z r. perfect as that of the Yellow Birt : the giant French monoplane whic l recently completed a successful nor
 stop flight from Old Orchard
 Spain.
 : The "blind-fying' which Wi r Hams and Yancey practiced hel l while waiting out the weather wa
 expected to serve them well durin - the first 1000 miles of their Ion f grind, with fog, reaching a heigf Q of 1000 feet in spots, blanketir s this section of their course. l From Old Orchard, the Pathfinc
 CT was scheduled to fly due east {
 Cape Sable; then east southeast 1 I latitude Al, longitude 47, the jun, r ton of the ship lanes; then dr n east to Cape Ortega. Spain; the r over Bayonne and Marseille n France; across the Mediterranean : over the island of Corsica, and c e bee-line to Rome. Q Williams and Yancey expect Q land at a flying field located abo, e Is miles from Rome. |, Williams and Yancey. weary fro h their weeks of waiting out II