Evening star., 1938-07-12
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, July 12 Howard
Hughes, American millionaire flyer
sped across the vast eXpanse of Soviet
Russia tonight toward Omsk in West
ern Siberia. where he hoped to land
on the third leg of his round-the.
world flight.
Hughes big monoplane reached a
point beyond Sverdlovsk, over 1000
miles from Moscow. at pm. Oil a M,
E. s. t.. Sverdlovsk lies beyond the
Ural Mountains, on the European side
Of the border between European Rus
sia and Asiatic Siberia.
At 4:45 pm. 8:45 am. E. S. T)
officials of the Moscuw airport reported
Hughes already had covered 720 miles
more than half of the l,38o-mile hop
to Omsk. and that he hoped to arrive
there before pm. Il pm, E. S. TD
The big monoplane crossed the Volga
River at Kazan, more than 400 miles
from Moscow little more than two
hours after the take-off.
Hughes and his four companions
took of in their sleek silver monoplane
from Moscow's central airport at l :25
pm (5:25 am. E. S. T) two hours
and IL minutes after they arrived from
Paris.
1880 Miles to Omsk.
They had 5000 miles of Soviet ter
ritory ahead of them as their heavily
loaded plane sped away on the 1890
mile hop to Omsk.
They completed the Paris Moscow
flight Of 1,541 miles in hours and
- minutes, bringing their plane down
At 11:13 am. (3:l3 am. E. S. t..
The flyers, unshaven and their hair
tousled, looked tired as they stepped
from the plane, but were IN grand
humor, signing autographs for fans
who crowded around them.
Hughes was so preoccupied with
problems Of the flight that he ap-
parently did not notice that his shirt
tail was out. He wore . brown felt
hat and a light gray suit.
Scans Air Maps.
He eagerly scanned air maps
brought out for him by Soviet air.
port officials, waving aside all offers
Of food and drink as his companions
ate lunch of fried eggs, cold ham
and salami served with beer and ice
water in the airport dining room.
Reports of good weather were re-
ceived from points along the Siberian
route as far as the Bering Straits,
separating Russian territory from
Alaska.
Hughes planned to make his only
other Siberian landing, besides Omsk,
at Yakutsk, 2.100 miles to the east
However. Soviet authorities provided
him with maps showing seven other
airdromes and emergency landing
places.
One Unsuccessful Attempt.
Hughes and his comrades got of
from Moscow only after one unsuc-
cessful attempt, which was defeated
by a change in direction of the wind
But they finally cleared the field with
a heavy fuel load.
Representatives of the American
Embassy and Alexander Troyanovsky,
the Soviet Ambassador to Washington
who is home on leave. were in the
crowd that watched the silver ship
glide to a perfect landing out of the
cloudless. summer sky.
Hughes said the flight from Paris
was smooth but at high altitude.
Radio Engineer Richard N. Stoddard
explained they encountered icing con-
ditions over France, compelling them
to climb to $4,000 feet. I'VE were
using oxygen tanks part of the time,"
he said.
The airport was all ready for the
airmen. Two rooms were set aside
for them. one for rest and another
for eating. A meal had been ready
for hours and the Russians earnest
effort to supply ice water, without
which Americans say they cannot live
here, kept walters busy.
Ice cubes in water glasses on the
(see HUGHES, Page A-3.)