Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-09
SWEDISH A|RMEN
START u. S. FLIGHT
Aerial "CommerciaI Trail
! Blazers" Expect to Reach
IA New York Tuesday.
Continued From First PageD

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300 horsepower, water-cooled JunkerS
LIS, which has proved itself a depend
able engine in cold climates on many
occasions.
The pilots cockpit is rugged for side
by-Side dual control and the cabin,
1illed with fuel tanks contains also two
radio sending sets one for the COM
mercial 600-meter wave and one for
short wave sending.
Ahrenberg Has Flown 10 Years.
Capt. Ahrenberg, who has been fly
ing for 10 years, is 40 years old and In
addition to his abilities as pilot he
holds a masters certificate in the
Swedish merchant marine. He was
born at Kalmar in the province OF
Smaaland on September 81 1889, and
went to sea as youth He left the
sea for the air in 1919 and received
his first pilots certificate on March Is
of that year He then started his
career as a pilot with the naval air
service of Sweden.
In 1924 he joined the staff of the
Swedish aerotransport, Sweden's ma
tional commercial air transport COM
pany. and was appointed director OF the
bullIOlUd AHuIOIlle, near N1hlulOS, III
Southern Sweden. Two years later he
was transferred to Stockholm, and In
addition to his duties as head of the
airdrome there, took charge of the
civilian flying school of an affiliated
company.
Capt. Ahrenberg is perhaps the best
known pilot in Sweden. In 1927 and
1928 he made two flights around Sweden
in the interests Of commercial aviation.
During these tours, which were made in
all kinds of weather, he few more than
$1,000 miles, made more than 5000
landings and take-offs, and carried
$4,000 passengers without accident or
mishap. A great many of the towns
he visited were poorly equipped for
landing, and in some of the villages
the inhabitants had never before seen
q plane.
The Junkers seaplane was finished
about a month ago at the factory OF
the Junkers Corporation in Dessau,
Germany, and Capt. Ahrenberg new 1t
to Sweden, where he put both the plane
and himself through rigid series Of
flight tests. among them a blind" n.y.
ing test more severe than any Of the
other transatlantic flyers made prior
to their take-offs.
Tests Blind Flying Ability.
He Enclosed the pilots cockpit en-
tirely with white sheeting, through
which there was no visibility, ana then
laid out q triangular course near
Stockholm. over this course he few
the plane, using his instruments ex-
clusively and alighted on the water
close to his take-of point.
The importance of the flight as q
trail blazer for the air mail is empha-
sized by the fact that the Sverige has
been officially commissioned as a mail
plane by the Swedish post Office and
Capt. Ahrenberg will bring with him
about SIS pounds of letters. Letters
have been registered with stamps at the
rate of 20 crowns, approximately $3.50,
for 10 grams of weight or any fraction
thereof.
The Danish government has sent an
expert mechanic to Ivigut to aid the
flyers when they arrive there in any
minor adjustments of their plane or
motor, and another Dane, Hedge Bang
sted. an author. will meet the flyers
at the Greenland station. The natives
Of Greenland are preparing huge bon
fires to serve as beacons along the
coast
The Norwegian government has ar
ranged for the radio station at Bergen
to send aviators weather reports at
frequent intervals during the first part
of the voyage.
copyright, 1929