Evening star., 1931-06-27

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Brunswick being Canadian territory.
Therefore, We were detained by the au-
thoritieS for an hour for having in
frtnged on the law governing flying In
Canada.
Next day we started for Harbor Grace,
Newfoundland, the last hop before our
ocean flight. On the airfleld there, our
supply of gasoline was ready for us, 600
gallons in 10 steel containers and Is
drums, each holding one gallon.
The enormous quantity to be loaded
in our machine might well have de-
terred us. 1t is always difficult to take
off with full load like that Lindbergh
knew this, and during the first part OF
his fight he had to go very low.
We remained at Harbor Grace for
one day to submit our motor to a very
thorough inspection Harold Gatty and
Wiley Post arrived the same afternoon.
Their motor was fed and they started
before dusk. They were able to start in
the evening because they had a very
fast machine. We had to wait till day
break, because the Liberty is slower and
also because we had to calculate the
time so we might be at Copenhagen be-
fore dark the following day.
For two months there has been a list
OF eight ocean flyers, all waiting to
start. But mine and Hilligs were the
last names on the list. From US the
least was expected. And yet we were
the first on the spot. After HS came
Gatty and Post. then followed Ruth
Nichols, who suddenly crashed.
Up Before Daybreak.
We didn't get much sleep that night.
Morning came. 1t was June "a.
We got up before daybreak and had
a good breakfast, corn flakes, bacon,
eggs and coffee. Then we got the pro-
visions ready, altogether six thermos
bottles-three with hot coffee and three
with water-and roast chicken. BY
some mistake we left out the bread, so
all we had to eat across the Atlantic
was roast chicken and chocolate.
| We left our hotel at O'Clock for the
airfield. However, we couldn't start i'm
| med1at2ly as there was no wind and
that was absolutely necessary in order
to start with such heavily loaded air.
| plane as ours.
AT 8 o'clock we felt wonderful. The
breeze was blowing 10 to Is miles.
Harbor Grace is about the best airfield
have ever seen. It is 1000 feet long,
Sloping downward 5 per cent at the
start OF the run, the last part being
quite level and no place could be better
for taking of with heavily loaded
machine.
The most important factor on a trip
1 ~
of, both for pilot and passenger A
false start means sure death. The mo-
ment you first feel the air under the
wings Is full of indeScribable excite
ment. We started at 8:15 and we were
on ground before We were halfway
| down.
Kept Against Wind.
For the first miles I kept a north
erly course against the wind in order
to get the proper height to enable me
10 make a safe turning. Then We
swung around and went right over the
airfield.
In few minutes we had lost sight
OF land. 1t was extremely cold, the
temperature almost at zero.
! We put cotton wool in our ears. I
was plotting the airplane, while Hillie
made notes all the time, and it is on
the basis OF these notes that am writ
ing this report. They were put down
In his little pocket note book with
shaking hand, the vibrations of our
arplane being noticeable in them. In
the course Of 20 minutes we had at
tained height of $500 feet.
1t was very nice feat, If NAV saw
So The motor was turning 1850 revo-
IutlonS per minute, which was rather too
much, as the maximum revolutions are
| 1880. I'VE were flying with the sun
dead against us, and therefore had tn
put on colored spectacles to withstand
the strong glare. Hillig made observa-
TONS every quarter hour.
AT S:45 the mist grew more dense
ana quarter OF an hour later Hillip
wrote, Still fog and overcast" Then
feet. " A'CO0
Thus far we had had no time tn
look at the ocean below us. Both Of us
concentrated on the airplane, and we
Lound to our greatest JOY that it was
nylng admirably well. But is minutes
later we couldn't help rejoicing at the
sunoeams which were now and then
penetrating through the clouds, Great
ing most wonderful effect.
Cuts Motor Speed.
reduced the number Of revolutions
to 800 in order to spare the motor. The
WIND was westerly and almost carried
us before 1t. This was excellent helm.
but visibility was poor.
| At $3.50 the Liberty was again at
height OF $500 feet. looked down at
the waves and observed there were no
Whitecaps; consequently there could be
at a height of 3,o00 feet, but now the
wind grew in intensity and the waves
below us were whitecapped. There
were numerous airpockets and our
progress in consequence became some
what irregular. It was getting colder,
and we closed all windows in the cabin
At 10 O'Clock the fog banked up to-
ward the south. though there was
bright sky toward the north We were
nearing the fogbsT1k of strange beauty.
I didn't want to fly through the wooliv
density, and therefore went up to 5000
| feet In order to pass over 1t. The wind
still increased and the whitecaps on the
waves became whittier every moment.
| At 1915 we few into shower. We,
| therefore, went still higher. The con-
stanta vibration of our machine seemed
| to send electric currents through us
We soon left the shower behind us, only
| to- be dropped into more air pockets and
sometimes we fell 100 feet.
Looked for Icebergs.
The water around the Grand Banks
of Newfoundland are famous for their
icebergs. We looked out for them, but
| could see none On the ocean there
was nothing in sight, not even q fishing
boat.
At 1o:45 "fog has lifted" wrote HiIlig
and little while later forced the air.
plane upwards and reached an altitude
of 1000 feet.
Hiilig had rather feared the motor
would run hot, owing to the great weight
of the airplane. but this fear was un-
founded.
We now began to feel ourselves at
llhome in the cabin and made life as
pleasant as possible. It was not too
pleasant though. couldn't during the
whole flight, stretch my legs. To ny in