Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 30 June 1928, page 25


FLYING-BOATS.

ARRIVAL AT ST. KILDA.

HUGE CROWDS WELCOME.

BRILLIANT 419 PAGEANT.

CRUISE OF 16,500 MILES.

The four British supermarine flying-boats dropped in" at St. Kilda yesterday in the course of their cruise across the world Dropped in" expresses the casualness of their nu- Oval. The four huge flying-boats, in perfect formation, touched the water simultaneously; there were four small clouds of spray; they taxied to their moorings in front of the pier-and the journey of 10,500 miles from London had ended.

St. Kilda, scene of so many historic wel-comet, has seldom looked better. ThenBands lined the Esplanade, and a string of motor-cars stretched far along Beaconsfield parade On the pier official guests waited under flags that scarcely moved in the gentle breeze, The sealed grey under the winter sun was almost without a ripple. It was a lazy afternoon; an afternoon for staring contentedly across the bay, speculating about the destinations of the Eleameis whose smoke seemed painted on the haze. Squadron-Leader Smart, bowover, giving an exhibition of "crazy fly-ing in his slotted wing Moth, made peaceful abstraction impossible. He kept the waiting crowd thrilled for an hour as he did almost everything but turn his machine

inside out.

In the meantime, the progress of the (light from Adelaide was being reported by wireless. The flying-boats left Port Adelaide at 7.10 a.m. and were joined by WingCommander Whackett in his Amphibian Widgeon II The flight made good time, and by wireless the lender (Group-Captain Cave-Brown-Cave) asked the Air Board what time it was desired he should arrive. "Can you land between 2 o'clock and a quarter past 2 o'clock?" he was asked, and immediately filing the answer, "Certainly,"

i Thrilling Arrival.

Just before 2 o'clock the crowd, which had relaxed after the departure of' the "crazy flyer," thrilled at the first sight of the approaching squadron. At first only the sunlight on the glistening metal hulls could be seen, but the flying-boats swiftly materialised out of the trains, Near them was the Australian supermarine and the Widgeon II. So huge are the flyingboats that they were clearly visible for

Map' showing approximately the route followed by the British flying-boats and the principal places at which the by called during their 16,500 miles cruise.

>»T>me time before the 10 mind land machines that surrounded them in escort could be picked 'out. ' 22 The

flight headed straight for the pier and the passage of the 22 machines was a thrilling- spectacle.' They flew over St. Kilda to St Kilda road, and, wheeling, the fund intestines left the seaplane to make their "lamllnB.'"

The landing was a pretty piece of navaltion. The boats touched the water toKoller in front of the pier and taxied to the moorings in front of the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club. A yacht ran up a welcome final, and was immediately dwarfed by a supermarine that moored beside it. The flying-boats have a pull of Toft.- and

are SOft. lone

A motor-boat collected Group-Captain Cave-Brown-Cave,' Squadron-Leader G. 15. Uvoclt. and the officers of the flight and brought them to the pier. Group-Captain Goble presented them to the Minister for Defence (Sir William, Glasgow l. the Premier (Mr. Hogan), the mayor of St. Kilda (Councillor F". L.. Hawking), Sir John Monash, and Sir Harry Chauvel.

Speeches of Welcome,

"On behalf of the Government and people of Victoria," said Mr. Hogue. I give you a very hearty welcome. I come Krntiilatc you on your safe uri oval at St Kilda, and am pleased that you have comeliked your journey of more than 10 000 miles in safety. Your flight has been made without publicity, but we recognise that you have proved the efficiency of these supermarine, and have surveyed as any por that seaplane route. I trust that your stay in Victoria will be happy, and that after you have stayed as long as possible you will make a safe return journey." (An

plants.)

The mayor of St. Kilda said "You have demonstrated That British aircraft mc second to none. TI ii n is the first occasion on which a service unit of the Royal Air Force has visited those shores, and we look for M nor to many similar visits, because they strength lion the ties of Empire. Tills pier has been the scene Of many notable welcomed-, and this will has in the history of St, Kilda. May I suggest that you leave your machines here over the week-end It would enable llioiis.iiid». to see them."

Sir William Glasgow said On behalf of the Veda a Ministry and the Defence service's, 1 in dollie you and congratulate you on your successful flight. We look on their flight as reaching to a greater co-operation between the of cares of the 12in

I hope that your stay will benefit owns Royal Australian Air Force, and that your tour will benefit the Royal Air Force. I hope you will i it-it Ca berth, where the Federal Ministry will be able to welcome

Flight Leader's Reply.

Group Captain Cavc-Bfoiin-C.no said, in replying want to thank you for the kind way you have welcomed us. This is the first occasion on which a unit of the !{o5u! Air Force has visited Australia, and I hope it will be the forerunner of Kelpiecal visits between the Royal Air force and the Royal Australian Air Verco. We think that vic mo ciAticmcly lucky to have been allowed to make the flight. We have had a very' good trip, with me Double. I regret, that it will not be practicable to leave the boat here for the week-end. The moorings are a rather close together, and the position is exposed. It will be better to take them to Point Cooke."

Group-Captain Cave-Brown-Cave and his officers returned to the motor launch, and were taken along the pier. They then returned to the Hymn boats, and within a few minutes three of them left for Point Cooke. difficulty was experienced in starting the engineers of one of the boats, and it was left at St. Kilda for the night.

The speech of Group-Captain Cave Brown Cave was one of the most modest on record, rK ailing the traditionally silent service," the Navy. The flight of the supermarine Is regarded In defence circles

as the most important of all flights to Australia. The flight left England in October, and it has flown without serious mishap, by way of the Mediterranean, Irak, Karachi, Bombay, Colombo, Calcutta, Singapore, Batavia, Broome, Fremantle, Perth, and Adelaide. It will leave by way of Sydney, Gladstone. Townsville, Napier, and Batavia, for Singapore, where it will form the nucleus of an Air Force station. Melbourne was the 70th port visited on the

cruise.

The machines will be overhauled at Point Cooke, and will not continue the flight for more than a month.

CAREER OF LEADER. To Remain Here a Month.

Although he has been in the Royal Navy since

the age of 18 years, and is used to a strenuous life, Group-Captain CaveBrown Cave is looking forward to a month's respite in Melbourne from the din of aircraft engines. He is staying with Wing-Commander Spicer at South Yarra, where he motored from Point Cooke soon after the seaplanes had arrived there from St. Kilda. Last night he spent quietly at home; he felt a little tired after the long "hop" from Adelaide, which was left at half-past 7 o'clock in the morning;.

Group-Captain Cave-Brown-Cave entered the naval air wing in May, 1914; it later became known as the Royal Naval Air Service, and eventually amalgamated with the Royal Flying Force, to become the Royal Air Force. He was with the sea nee throughout the war. He has served under Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond, brother of Air Marshal Sir John Salmond, who is at present in Australia, and flew with him from Karachi to Bombay.

"AS far as excitement is concerned, the trip has been a blank so far otherwise it has been entirely satisfactory," said GroupCaptain Cave-Brown-Cave last night. "We have not hurried-speed was not our object -and the engines have behaved perfectly. They have not been dismantled since leaving London, and the seaplanes have not been in a shed since leaving Plymouth; in fact, the mechanics have had a pretty easy time. The 'planes are only under cover at Point Cooke because there happens to be over available. One of our objects was to test out this type of service aircraft, and I have decided that it is a jolly good one. We have also made observations that should prove very valuable. We have had very good weather on the whole much better than we expected. We stayed at Singapore for four months in order not to arrive in Australia before the scheduled time; ago with that time at our disposal it was not necessary to dismantle the engines. To-day we had a, following wind from Adelaide, and that is why we were a little early."

Discussing the development of civil avia-tion in Australia, Group-Captain Cave

Brown Cave said that living conditions here were' infinitely more favorable than in England, England Was a highly organised country, vi oil provided with roads and rail-way: the weather was comparatively bad, and the generally small fields made land-ings difficult. In England only one or two hours could be saved by taking an aero-plane, but in Australia, days - perhaps weeks - could be clipped from a journey. The weather was good for (lying, and land-ings could be made almost anywhere. He believed that West Australian Airways had as fine a record as any air service in the world They- should be nothing to prevent the rapid development of civil avia-tion here. Anybody in reasonable health could fly; aviation was not necessarily a young man's pursuit.

"We have learned a good deal on this flight which will be of value in the future," added Group-Captain Cave-Brown-Cave. We are reporting on the route and general facilities throughout the owner for the operation of these flying-boats. It is just a coincide nee. Incidentally, that Air-Marshal Sir John Salmond should no rive here practically at the same time as ourselves. We will

meet him at the station on Monday; -but-ing the month or so that we are here Uro mechanics will look over' the seaplanes, although it is improbable that much will have to be done. From lies of we will go to Sydney, and then to Queensland; who will. 'hop off for Singapore from Darwin. I am not quite sure n but our- programme Will be then; we may go home, or we may have to remain longer, in the Kent."

This morning Group-Captain Cave-Brown-Cave and his fellow officers will pay office that calls on His Excellency the Governor (Lord Somers) at half-past 10 o'clock, and on the Premier (Mr. Hogan) at a quarter past 11 o'clock,

History of the Flight.

The pi cecil I flight was first mooted at the Imperial Conference in London in 1926. when it was proposed that four Air KOILO seaplanes should fly from Singapore to Australia. The proposal was developed, and the morning of September 22 1927, the four flying-boats. vi Muir arrived in Melbourne yesterday, took off from Plymouth. Each plane Curl les two officers and two

inpi'liaiiiis-u total of 14 men.

The objects of the tour are, among other o. to obtain experience in problems involved when the flying-boats carry out extended and independent cruises out from shore bases, and to ascertain the minimum of iieccsiMiv bases that must he uolalilhlicd. It is also hoped (to gain experience of problems connected with the reinforcing of points on Imperial, routes with nine-inch do an us from England or other parts of the Km (in is.