The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-06-30
INDIANAPOLIS, TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1881
World Filters AUe7t Disaster
by Inches Hop Oft for Long
Trip Across Canadian Rockies
Edmonton Is Next Goal of
Post and Gatty; Craze
Tops of Trees as They
Leave Fairbanks Field.

Leave dill UdIlkS FIGiu.
By United Press
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, June
30.-Wiley Post and Harold
Gatty made a breath-taking
departure in the monoplane
Winnie Mae today for Edmon-
ton, Alberta, en- route to New
York on their record breaking
flight around the world.
Disaster was averted by inches
when the Winnie Mae brushed
against treetops as it cleared the
field on it's second attempt. The
smoothly functioning ship roared
away at 800 a. m. (7:20 a. m. In
dianapolis time) into the far north
ern yellow night.
With approximately 12,070 miles
completed of the 15,000-mile jour-
ney and its end within eight days
in sight, the fliers faced a 1900
mile hop over northern plains to
Edmonton, where they planned to
refuel and snatch a few hours
sleep.
Thunderstorms and heavy rains
were reported from Edmonton, with
rainfall of 81 inch recorded during
the last tWenty-four hours.
These two fliers, the Oklahoma oil
worker and the Australian naviga-
tor, landed on the North American
continent Monday night, near Nome,
after plunging through fog along
a treacherous route from Siberia;
sailed on to Fairbanks, took only
few hours sleep there, and then
were away again.
Gatty Is Injured
They had allotted themselves ten
days to fly around the world and
when they set out from this Alaskan
city this morning they already had
completed an estimated 1000 miles
of their 15,OOo-mile flight.
Adversely meant nothing to them
on this daring journey. Gatty was
injured when he stepped into the
moving propeller blade Monday
night, but he waved away medical
assistance with the remark:
Its just a little bump"
Fly Through Fog
Their plane became begged in the
mud on Siberian flying field. An
American tractor pulled them out.
Fog hung deep over the pacific.
They flew through.
And today they started off across
the route that leads over the ragged
Canadian Rockies, down through
the Mackenzie valley, and across
the flat agricultural lands of
Canada.
Post and Gatty were awakened at
2:30 a. m. Fairbanks time. They
were tired and reluctant to leave
their beds.
TITS hard life,'I the swarthy
Post yawned, as he came from his
room, his hair tousled and his eyes
red from lack of sleep.
After a hearty breakfast in the
chill early morning, the fliers went
to the field, where mechanics had
warmed up the motor Of the Winnie
Mae.
New Record Set
Six mechanics had worked all
night overhauling the motor of the
Winnie Mae, installing new pro-
peller and cleaning the plane a bit.
The ship, greasy and dirty from
its long flight when it landed here.
left the field shining and clean.
Post and Gatty, as an incident to
their world flight, set a new RI ord
for the flight from Nome to Fair
banks Monday, when they negotiat-
ed the $40 miles in three hours and
seven minutes, well under the best
time ever made by commercial fiers
here, well acquainted with the route.
The Fairbanks Edmonton hop
was expected to be the most dan
gerouS between here and New York.
Route Is Dangerous
High winds and occasional fog
make for difficult flying weather
at times. The rugged, almost de-
serted, country makes landing dan
gerous.
When Post and Gatty arrived in
Fairbanks Monday, they had be-
hind them approximately 12,070
miles of their 15,0o0-nile journey,
in 172 hours elapsed time since they
scared away from Roosevelt field at
New York, a week ago today.
To date they have averaged seven
ty miles an hour, including all
ground time, on the trip. -
Ship Works Perfectly
Their actual flying time for the |
journey to the time of the takeoff |
at Fairbanks has been approximate
ly ninety-five hours. Their average
speed to date, not counting stops,
has been approximately 100 miles an
hour.
The Winnie Mae, a Lockheed
high-wing monoplans, has func-
toned perfectly.
Barring accident. the ship and
its crew will end the aerial argosy
in New York some time Wednesday.
having banded the world in eight
days.