FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 266, 4 August 1920, Page 7

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

ACCOMPLISHED BY PARER AND H'INTOSH PERILOUS JOURNEY TO DARWIN , By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright Darwin, August 3. Lieutenants Parcr and M'lntosh have arrived. They had only enough petrol left to havo carried ,them another two miles.

The aviators wore expected in the forenoon, but did not arrive until after dark. A largo number of people gathered, and anxiously awaited the aviators, who succeeded in making a graceful landing after flying over the town The last stage of the journey from Atemboca occupied eight hours. Lieutenant Paror, a boyish-looking --man, stated that when he was ready to 6tart, at 6 o'clock in the morning, he found the carburettor faulty, owing, to some perished rubber, and it had to be taken to pieces, and the departure was.postponed for three hours. Shortly after starting the air speed indicator went wrong, and ho was unable to tell the drift or the air. An empty petrol drum was lashed to the machine, to serve as a float if they were compelled to descend on the sea. Storms were encountered in the early part of the day, and a strange air current in the latter part of tho journey. These currents carried them considerably out of their course. Big hush fires . obscured tho coast, but they eventually sighted Darwin after a very anxious time, owing to tho low petrol supply. The aviators had a great welcome from tho public, and wore afterwards accorded a reception by the Administrator. In a few days they will continue their flight across tho Northern Territory to Brisbane, and thence to Sydney.—Press Assn.

[Lieutenants Pnrer and M'lntosh have been nearly seven months making the journey from England to Australia. They sot out from Hounslow on January 8, their avowed object being to make the aerial journey in less time than Captain Ross Smith (who took a month), using a single-engine aeroplane. The machine is ado Haviland scout. No official sanction was given for the flight, and the aviators took personal responsibility for the risks. They met with bad weather and many mishap*. On the Indian portion of their journey they ran out of funds, and had at times to do manual work to buy petrol and oil. Tho machine made a bad landing at Moulmoin, owing to the crowds on tho racecourse being in tho way, and not only was it badly smashed,'but tho aria-, tors were both seriously hurt. Over six weeks were'then lost. Thero was further delay on the Malay Peninsula, and at Singapore a new engine had to bo ordered.!