FLIGHT OVER AFRICA

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 153, 24 March 1920, Page 7

FLIGHT OVER AFRICA

VAN RI'NEVELD'S EXPERIENCES

STRANGE ATMOSPHERIC INFLUENCES

By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright

Cape Town, March 22. The official log of Colonel van Ryncveld shows that his total flying tinio wns 10IK- hours. Ho loft Cairo on February 10. but a leak in the radiator nbhVti him to make <a forced landing m •■■*( dark, and the machine was irreparably damaged. The engines were intact, and wore- conveyed to Cairo and refitted (<■ a new machine; ami the flight was rem in. Ed on February 22. At Khartoum l*nks were discovered in the water-jackets, and the cylinders had io bo changed.

On the stag:; from Khartoum to MonKilla the aviators encountered the' nwst extraordinary experience of their 'rip. At one time thev .lost height to the\< tent of about 15011 ft. in little more tlikti a minute, and at another tlwv had ' n sudden drop of SfiWr. This "they attributed to passing alternately over largo patches of burnt and unburnt grass country. Flying across Uganda, they incountered "dust-devils," fotuc nf which rose as hi eh as 8000 ft.

They were forced to lnnd at Sliirati A»v ensine troubles duo to the climatic -<widitious. After leaving Abercorn, 3.1 M feet, aliove sea level, where they dipcankd everything indispensable in order to risn easily, they had nn anxious time on the ,wav to Ndola. Owing t'j an interrupHnn in the petrol ■simply, the machine grail* ally lost height while- flying oyer tlt» (leiiso bush. Matters wore black, 1»U owing to the loss of wcizht through the consumption of petrol, a level conr«<s wns maintained to Ndola. Bulawayu was eventually Teached. When they were leaving on March 5 tho machine faiH to rise in a "dead" patcli of air, and was completely wrecked. The Union aeroplane '"Voortrokker" was sent' to Bulawayo, and tho aviators resumed tho flight to Cant Town. On tho,way ihey oncountered a thunderstorm, which badly chipped the propeller, and.completely tore, off the binding. The propeller was replaced and the; journey was completed. —Router.

PRIZE OF .:Csfloo AWARDED. Cape Town, March 22 ; Thp Government .Ikw awarded a prize of .£50(10. to bo divided between Col«n«l van ilvneveld Jind Lieutenant 'Brand.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. JAPANESE FLY FROMTOKIO TO SEOU;,. Tokio, Match 22. Three' Japanese Army airmen flew from Tokio to Seoul,,with stops at Hiroshima and Taiku. The journey occupied three davs—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Jisfn, AERIAL CUSTOMS STATION. New York, March IS. Tho first aerial Customs ■station has been established at Niagara Falls.for the insrjeetinn ot aircraft from Canada.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.