Evening star., 1930-06-24
WESTWARD FLIGHT
DANGER OUTLINED
KingSford- Smith BIameS Pre-
viouS Failures on Lack
on Preparation.
Continued FIom First Page.)

strung across the ocean, but hesitate
to say definitely they may not be use
full because one can not say anything
| is impossible.
1 have already mentioned the unfor-
tunate tragedies which have occurred
in the cases of some previous attempts
| to fly westward across the Atlantic.
Those gallant failures make us marvel
at the courage, pluck and endurance
which carried those splendid German
airmen, Hermann Koehl and the late
Baron Won Huenefeld, and the Irish
colonel, FitZmaurice, safely to the other
side Of Greenly Island. We hope to go
| farther than they, but in many ways
theirs was a pioneer east-west flight
| We feel We are following a path blazed
! by many brave men, and if We should
| be the first to reach American territory,
it will not in any way detract from the
| achievement of the Bremen and her
| crew.
Four Dangers to Others.
All of these previous attempts had to
face four principal difficulties. The
| first was the danger of engine failures;
| the second, the question of a pilots
| ability to fly a long period by instru-
ments only or blind flying; third, lack Of
radio and expert navigator, and, fourth
accumulation of ice.
| Discussing each point in the order
above mentioned, it is nothing but fool
hardy to set out across the ocean in
Single-engined plane. Three should be
used, as We are doing. If one fails. the
| other two have to support the weight
| 1t is impossible to maintain flying speed
| if the weight is too great; therefore.
should one engine fail, I can dump as
much fuel Immediately as is necessary
by means of valves at the bottoms of
| tA NnNS l. Snl-
that I can dump 800 gallons If necessary
in so seconds. And in the event of a
| forced landing on the water, with the
empty tanks available as ballast, the
plane should remain afloat for hours.
Next is the matter of blind flying, which
Is obvious on the face of 1t to any one.
The smallest margin of error in calcu-
lationS Is sufficient to send one far off
his course, using up precious fuel when
far from his destination, in possibly re-
mote areas. A navigator is as essential
as having a wireless along and vice
versa. If the plane is forced down,
messages can be sent out until the last
minute.
Ice Is TickIish Question.
Ice forming on the planes wings,
however, is the most tickliSh question
OF all. Many flights have failed, I am
convinced, solely or largely due to this
peril. There is nothing you can do
TO avoid ice formation. My plan, If ice
forms seriously, Is to bring the machine
down to warmer attitudes to melt it off.
In one flight I once carried 1900
pound weight. We plan to detect ice
at night by using flashlights.
However, the main difhculty in any
attempt to fly from east to west across
the Atlantic is wind. The prevailing
winds blow from the west to the east,
so that normally a flight from America
to Europe can be undertaken with
greater chances of success.
These winds vary considerably in in
tenSlty. At an unsuitable period winds
on the Atlantic blow with hurricane
force, and, conversely. periods occur
when more or less suitable conditions are
encountered. During the Summer
months--May, June, July and part of
AuguSt-opportuni arise very often
when these winds are at a minimum
and even, upon occasion, non-exiStent.
These head winds, of course, reduce
ones true speed by their force. For in
stance, machine travelling at speed
OF 100 miles an hour with a 25-mile
wind blowing against it covers territory
at speed of only rs miles an hour.
Hence 1t will be seen that the main
flying problem in an east-to-west cross
ing is the ability to carry sufficient fuel.
Handicap Is Explained.
The handicap of wind is easily ex-
planned. Fuel in an airplane gives us
certain number of hours at a con-
slant air speed. The Southern Cross
mas flying range of about 81 hours
at q cruising speed of 100 miles an hour,
Carrying, as we plan to, the enormous
load Of 1900 gallons of fuel, 1t is easy
to see that the shortest distance be-
tween two points, Ireland and New
1ounoland, distance of approximately
1000 miles, can be covered with a
margin, even in the fece of a con-
siderable head wind, and in the event of
a light headwind or calm New York
itself could be reached.
SO much does this question Of winds
lie In the hands of the meteorological
bureaus on this and the other side Of
the Atlantic that I, as pilot, would not
consider at any time taking of without
ther cooperation. Modern meteoro-
logical data are, by courtesy of these
weather bureaus and photographic Of
ices, available for aviators anxious to
make long distance flights, and a fairly
accurate forecast can be given from
time to time as to velocitieS and other
wind and weather conditions.
Generally speaking, of course, a west
ward flight needs considerably greater
amount of gasoline than an eastward
flight. So far as can observe through
studying previous times and speeds on
eastward flights, the same flights il
made westward under identical condi-
tIons would have taken approximately
one-1ourth to one-third more fuel than
was actually used.
Thinking Pilot Would Return.
If he finds at any period during the
flight that wind and weather conditions
are SO unsuitable as to make safe ar
rival on the opposite shore probIematical.
the thinking pilot will retrace his steps
and go back to the take-off point and
await another and possibly more suit
able occasion. Assuming that this ship
IS equipped to determine its position, as
the Southern Cross is the last few hours
OF flying will be determined by condi-
tlonS ahead. In this regard accurate
radio reception is of estimable value.
Apart from head winds, the Atlantic
presents another diff1culty-fog. This is
particularly true on the Western side,
where heavy fog banks prevail, due to
the meeting of the Gulf Stream with the
Arctic waters, which come down by way
OF Labrador Fog at the end of a flight
where there is the possibility of gas
tanks being low, creates a landing
hazard. Needless to say, 1t Is extremely
difficult to come down through layers of
log and land accurately on suitable
ground.
A condition of fog Occasionally neces-
states what is known as blind flying,
and this is best described as controlling
the machines motion in the air by the
aid Of instruments alone. In 1ying
blind, also, ones personal senses cannot
be relied upon at all. If the machine
seems to be going in a certain direction
| and the Instruments saw il is not IL Is