Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-09-08
HEAVYLADEN
PLANE FACES
FOG DANGERS

TOKYO. Sept. s.-tR-Tryine to
lily nonstop 4,465 miles across the
Pacific from Japan to Seattle in
q plane which had failed other
aviators twice In similar attempts,
Don Moyle. motorcycle salesman,
and G. A. Allen. former purveyor
OF washing machines. presumably
were well on their way today.
They took off from Samushiro
beach. 37S miles north of here at
$50 a. m today t2:3O d. m. C. s.
I. Monday, with 1,020 gallons OF
gasoline, n OF the heaviest fuel
loads ever lifted by q single r.otored
plane. and began what is consid-
cred the most hazardous of all
ocean flight undertakings.
I00-Niie Pace
An hour and ten minutes after
n takeoff they were sighted oil
Point Erimo. Hokkaido Island, ITO
miles from Samushiro beach, hay
ing set a 100-mile an hour pace
Tor the first stages OF their trip.
Their route. as mapped. followed
lose TO the Kurile island chain.
that foggy stretch which gave SO
much trouble recently to Colonel
and Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh on
their flight to Japan.
However, aviation authorities
said Moyle and Allen probably
would keep well to seward OF the
island chain TO avoid fog and pos
6ible complications which might
arise If they passed over any OF
the fortified areas there. They
believed TO be heading IN
almost a bee line Tor Attu, the
westernmost island of the Aleutian
chain. After they had pasted Point
Erimo. Japan did not hear from
them again.
They carried no radio and their
course took them somewhat to the
north OF the steamship lane. Hence
there was little possibility OF their
being heard from until they APP
preached the American coast.
Moyle calculated the flight would
take 80 70 A hours depending on
the weather. This would take them
into Seattle between $3.50 and $50
a. m. wednesday OIL D. m. Tues
day and 4:30 a. m. Wednesday c.
8. ID
Seattle Is Target
He asked that airport officials
IN Seattle keep the field lighted
Tuesday, night and Wednesday
morning against their coming.
Reports today from the United
States quoted weather officials as
predicting the aviators would en-
counter helpful winds over a good
part OF their journey, although adj
uniting the weather over the Aleu-
tians would be by no means
ideal"
The fliers estimated the 1920
gallons Of gasoline in the tanks OF
their plane would keep them in the
air AZ hours. In addition, they
crowded 80 gallons of gasoline into
the cockpit 10 give them fuel for
two additional hours flying. Moyle
expected to average 100 miles an
hour in the early stages of the
flight, and a greater speed as the
ship became lighter.
II they reach Seattle they will
win $4,000 offered by the Asahi,
Tokyo Newspaper. for the first nom
stop flight from Japan to North
America south Of a given degree
Of latitude. They will not be ell
gible for the Seattle prize of sim
liar size because they did not take
off within so miles Of Tokyo.
They started from a remote
beach whose harG-packed sandy
surface presents the only available
runway of sufficient length for
such a heavily loaded plane. The
runway at Kasumigaura airdromc.
near here, is too short.
Takes Air Easily
The total weight Of their plane
et takeoff was a little less than
six tons. AS Moyle predicted. they
had no trouble taking off, clearing
the beach after a run Of 1900
meters.
The plane holds the worlds
weight carrying record for a single
motor plane Moyle said, explain
ing they had increased the lift"
by cutting down the propeller an
inch at each end and installing a
new tail group.
Nearly a year ago Harold Brom-
ley and Harold Gatty-the latter
the same man who recently es-
tablished an around-the-world
speed record with Wiley Post or
Oklahoma-tried TO fly this same
plane from Samushiro beach 10
Tacoma, Wash. They returned TO
the beach many hours later with
q broken fuel line.
This year, Thomas Ash. Jr., n
other American. using the same
plane, tried to make the flight