Evening star., 1933-05-21
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They dropped the landing gear Of their Silver
Bird as soon a. 1t passed ever the French coast.
headed out 10 sea No trace Of them or of the
Silver Bird has ever been discovered, though
many searches have been made
THEN, teo. there's the matter of Byrd.s night
across the Atlantic, from New York =
France. Accidents during preparatory flights
had delayed the start and had injured the chief
pilot, Floyd Bennett The trip started without
him.
Moreover, Il started In the face Of unfavOT-
able weather prospects. Byrd was tired Of watt
ing The ship and the crew were ready. So
they took ef.
Over . stormy ocean new the big ship and its
crew Of four. lighthouse ON the French
coast was sighted through the fog. The course
was laid for Paris The plane actually new
over Paris, but the hoodfights of lie Bourget
Field were obseured by fog.
Rather than make blind landing and inn
peril other persons, Byrd ordered return 70
the coast. Arriving there. he calmly passed .
note to each member Of the crew saying We
are going to crash" They did. They survived
the rough landing in water just of the beach.
The first successful airplane fight from E1-
rope to North America was accomplished BY
Baron Won Huenefeld, Capt Koehl and Maj.
Fitmaurice.
The baron who contributed largely to the
financing Of the expedition actually was in pain
a great deal Of the way. He kept his condition
to himself and never complained. Last year he
died of one Of the most painful Of afi1ictions-
cancer.
When Lieuts. Maitland and Hesenberger set
forth from the California Coast, to win for the
Army the fame Of being first to fly from the
mainland to Hawaii, they knew they were tax
ing q big chance.
Flying from one continent to another is dam
gerous enough But Maitland and Hegen-
berger were starting on q far more hazardous
trip. They had TO ny 2,4o0 miles over water
in exactly the right direction, and then sight
a small group Of islands.
Precedent was net encouraging. The Navy
seaplane Pms had been sent ON that trip two
years earlier. Comdr. Rodgers and his crew had
been lost for more than q week. after a forced
landing IN the ocean.
Did the two heutenants hesitate? Hardy.
They took on, carrying . sextant to determine
their posjeien and . radio compass receiver to
follow the beacon signals as far they could
hear them. They new straight toward that
tiny dot Of land for IS hours, sighted It dead
ahead, and made . successful binding.
THE spectacular flight OF Linaoagh from New
York to Paris needs little comment. Every
move following the takeon from Roosevelt Fieid
was faithfully reported But how about the
preparations.
Wasers were laid, at even odds. that Lind
bergh would never leave San Diego; two to
one he would not take on from Roosevelt Field:
five to one that II he did he never would reach
Paris
Glenn Curtiss flying from Cleveland out over
Lake Erie In 1910 made as hazardous night
as the longer Jumps over water in more mod
ern ships. And when he f1ew under the Eads
Bridge of the Mississippi River, in st. Louis,
the same year he startled the onlookers more
than an outside loop q power dive thrills
1893 air meet spectators. wing buckled dur
ing that st. Louis demonstration. too and Cur
ties barely saved his life by . skillful landing.
W. S1&nvAp> . h~pAw vnNe tl,one aiYyAAx.