Notes

In Ten Years. Commander Richard E. Byrd flew from Buffalo to Toronto, with Maurice Bokanowski, French Minister of Commerce. In Toronto M. Bokanowski said: "In less than ten years I foresee every man flying as the most logical method of transportation."

Canadians Best. In Toronto, Commander Byrd addressed the Canadian Aeronautical Association ingratiatingly: "Canadians generally make the best aviators in the world." As proof, he cited War figures.

Third Woman Lost. Vivian Jackson has been buried in Indianapolis. She was riding with Sergeant Ralph A. Gordon, Indiana National Guard, when his plane went into a tail spin, crashed. Her death was the third tragedy among women in two weeks: Mildred Doran, Dole Flight passenger, disappeared in the Pacific; at Youngstown, Ohio, Gladys Roy, girl stunt flyer, stepped into her whirling propeller.

Hearst. Mrs. William Randolph Hearst donned trousers and blouse, helmet and goggles, stepped into Lloyd Bertaud's Old Glory, which William Randolph Hearst is financing for a flight to Rome. From the plane she radioed her husband: "Flying over Long Island. I hope the boys reach Rome in Old Glory. I think this is a most wonderful ship. [Signed] Millicent." The Hearst press reported the event widely, including pictures of Mrs Hearst in overalls, blouse, goggles, helmet.

Flying Express

Pat after his announcement of American Railway Express Co. flying express (TIME, Aug. 29), President Robert E. M. Cowie of the company last week published his flying express rates between 26 air express stops. Rates are effective as of Sept. 1, are given in cents and on the basis of a four-ounce (quarter pound) unit. Between six important cities they are:*

NEW YORK... 40

BOSTON

CHICAGO 50

DALLAS 60

OMAHA 60

'FRISCO .., . 75

Hearing Wings at Night

Landing lights at airports have been made remarkably efficient, but what about the flyer who, straying at night from his course, passes near a field at which he is not expected, of which he is unaware? That contingency, too, is now taken care of by a device invented by Research Engineer T. Spooner of the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. and demonstrated last week at Bettis Field,*McKeesport, Pa. This device, essentially, is a mechanical ear which may be set to listen, while airport attendants sleep, for any ships that pass in the night. It is a microphone, with a large "loud-hearer" attached and turned skyward, with an adjustment preventing isolated or in- termittent sounds (thunder, gun shots) from registering. Only the steady hum of an airplane motor affects it. What the microphone hears is amplified 100 million times, the sound then being transformed into electric current capable of throwing the airport's floodlight switch.

Toward the Sun

Flying the Stinson Detroiter monoplane, Pride of Detroit, which won the Ford Reliability Tour this year, businessman Edward F. Schlee (oil) and onetime airmail pilot William S. Brock set out to circle the globe in record time.

The Pride of Detroit got up like a frightened quail from Curtiss Field, Long, Island, and winged northward to Old Orchard, Me. The second hop was to Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, and at this little haven on the eastern tip of North America the flyers awaited weather.

Reports were inaccurate, fragmentary. Around Harbor Grace the clear skies of a genial late August tempted the racers. They fueled the plane, a small single-motored ship, and went to bed. At five a. m. they returned to the field in an automobile. They loaded in bananas, meat sandwiches, a gallon of water, coffee; loaded themselves in afterward. The motor whirred, exploded. Pilot Brock cocked his head, listened. Twenty minutes later he nodded, satisfied. Blocks were pulled from beneath the wheels and the Pride of Detroit rolled on her way. Five minutes later she was out of sight, flying at 1,500 feet into the rising sun. They started in luck. Despite some clouds and storm, westerly winds wafted them along toward England. Ten hours later the steamer California, 400 miles off the Irish coast sighted the plane, flying high in ideal weather. Another ten hours passed; the Pride of Detroit over Plymouth, England. The Pride of Detroit coasted to the long green surface of Croydon Airdrome, London; Schlee and Brock tumbled out, waving their hands. The first leg of their around-the-world flight was ended. From Croydon the flyers leaped eastward. Munich, famed for beer & music, next heard the roar of their engine. They slid to earth. The second leg of the round-the-world flight was behind them. From Munich they planned to hop, successively, to Stuttgart, Germany; Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Constantinople; Aleppo, Syria; Bagdad; Bender Abbas, Persia; Karachi, India; Allahabad, India; Calcutta; Rangoon; Tourane, French Indo-China; Hongkong; Tokyo; Midway Islands; Honolulu; San Francisco; Cheyenne; Chicago; Detroit; Harbor Grace. "With every break of luck," said Mr. Brock just before taking off, "and allowing four or five hours' sleep a night with no time out for accidents, engine trouble, or other unforeseen contingency, we might make it under 18 days."*

* For some established flying passenger train rates, see TIME, Aug. 29, p. 20. * Bettis Aviation Field was named after the late Lieut. Cyrus Bettis, who was killed when his plane crashed into the Pennsylvania mountains last year (TIME, Sept. 6, 1926).