DESERT FLIGHT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 147, 17 March 1920, Page 7

DESERT FLIGHT

• v EXPERIENCES OF PARER AND MACINTOSH PETROL ALMOST FINISHED (By Telegraph-Press Association-OopyrißM Allahabad, March 14. Lieutenants Parer and Macintosh, describing their loug flight across the Syrian dewrt, which whs declared impossible bv aviators in England, said they left. Ra'inleh for Bagdad on February 27 and crossed the Jordan at a height of 1000 feet, north of the Dead Sea., They struck a head wind and soon (lying became difficult. They crossed a long stretch of lava formation extending about a hundred miles, and flew for six hours without seeing a habitation or any sign of living beings. The carburetter flooded, necessitating a forced landing in the desert. After strenuous work it was repaired, but later they were forced again to land in the desert- It was extremely hazy, as they had landed near a large stretch of water. They stayed all night, and early in tlie morning were disturbed by who told them they had landed on the shores of Lake Habbamjah, not far from Bagdad. Their main anxiety was whether then petrol would hold out. Thev transferred a few pints to the gravitv tank, and roso again. The clouds were low. and it was raining. The Euphrates was sighted and soon Bagdad became visible, and they found ths aerodrome without diflicultv. At the moment of landing they liad a pint and a half of petrol-not sufficient to circle round the aerodrome. The actual flying time _in crossing the desert was 8 hours 10 minutes. , Lieutenants Parer and Macintosh left Allahabad for Calcutta on Sunday, and intend waiting at Calcutta for .Captain Matthews (who is delayed by a broken propeller) .-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CALCUTTA REACHED. BQtnbay, March 14. Lieutenants Parer and Maciiitosh Imv© arrived at Calcutta.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn, _____■._—.