The airmen immediately set about making preparations, establishing that the flight would be made to coincide with the December full moon, based on the fact that the previous weather reports collected had demonstrated that this would be the most favourable period for crossing a desert; this stage of the long-distance flight would be made at night to avoid the danger of sand clouds.
Los aviadores comenzaron inmediatamente los preparativos, determinando que el vuelo se llevaría a cabo aprovechando la luna llena de diciembre, ya que los antecedentes meteorológicos recogidos hacían ver que era esta la época más favorable para la travesía del desierto; este tramo del raid se efectuaría de noche para eludir el peligro que representaban las nubes de arena.