Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-09
BOYD AND CONNOR
OFF FOR ENGLAND
IN VETERAN PLANE
Canadian Pilot and Aide Take
Advantage of Break in Fog
for Sea Hop.

ST. JOHNS, Newfoundland. Oc-
tober 9 (P).-The monoplane CO.
lumbia, bound from Harbor Grace,
Newfoundland, to London, passed
over st. Johns at 1910 pm. EAST
ern standard time).
BY the .s.sociated Press
HARBOR GRACE, Newfoundland,
october Capt. Enrol Boyd and Lieut..
Harry Common hoped of at 1880 am.
Eastern standard time, in the airplane
Columbia, for England.
The two flyers had been abound at
the local airport for more than two
weeks. Early today fog still hung over
the Newfoundland coast, b t, impatient
at the delay, they prepared to take ad-
vantage of the first break in the
weather.
1t came during the forenoon when the
clouds broke away and the flyers de-
cided to take the leap Immediately.
It will be the Columbia's second trans
atlantic crossing If the flyers are sue
cessful. The airplane is owned by
Charles A. Levine, who few in it to
Germany more than three years ago.
His pilot was Clarence Chamberlin.
Plane Is Veteran.
The veteran monoplane Columbia
essayed her second transatlantic cross
ing when she put out over the Atlantic
Ocean today from Harbor Grace, New
foundland, with Capt. Enrol Boyd at
the controls and Lieut. Harry E. Conner
as navigator.
The old ship, which belongs to
which Clarence Chamberlin and Le-
vine flew across the Atlantic from
Roosevelt Field to Kottbus, Germany,
in June, 1927.
to Havana. 1t cracked up at the take
of of projected flight to Rome, and
was damaged in a fight which Levine
made in it over Roosevelt Field.
No other plane still in rigorous serv-
ice has, perhaps, the sturdy record OF
the Columbia.
Began Last Spring.
Capt Boyd, in command of todays
fight. began last Spring to prepare for
the trip. He hoped at first to start
from Montreal on the flight in the lat
ter part of May or early June.
First Canadian. to enlist in the Royal
Air Force during the World War, Boyd
had flown the mails for several years
He selected Common, who navigated the
plane in which Roger @. Williams re-
Gently few to Bermuda, as his navi-
gator.
From late August, when Boyd finally
got ready for his ocean hop; until to-
day the project had combated misior-
tune in getting under way.
He reached Montreal on September
/ from Toronto and found the plane
under seizure at st. Hubert Airport
under a warrant obtained at the in
stance of Roger @. williams, who in
sisted that it be detained for a debt
he alleged was owed him.
While legal entanglementS delayed
the fight, Capt. Boyd decided to break
at Harbor Grace what was to have been
nonstop flight from st. Hubert to
| Croydon Airdrome.
Down for 10 Days.
Finally on September IL, the plane
was set free in court, and two days later
Boyd and Conner got away for st
Hubert.
But later that day-September 49,
4 the plane was forced down in farmer:
/ field at Charlottetown, on Prince Ed
ward Island. 500 air miles from its Har-
Dor Grace goal, by fog and bad weather
and for 10 days the plane was land.
bound. Finally, on September %, it go
from Charlottetown TO Harbor Grace
and Boyd and Conner made the fina
preparations for their take-off.
The Columbia carries no radio equip.
ment on her flight over the Atlantic
but is equipped with delicate inStru
ment which Capt. Boyd declared vii
make flying safer through fog.
Backing the fight is John A. O'Brier
of New York