AIR FLYING.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 March 1920, Page 3

AIR FLYING.

FLIGHT TCTL'HE CAPE. Neuter's Telegrams. (Received This Day at 11.20. a.m.) I';: .- CAPETOWN, March 22. y The official log of Van Ryneveld shows i::-'-. jl . , 1 ,1 • ,• V.

the total Hying time was lo9i hours. Ho left Cairo on 10th February } but the radiator peak obliged him to make a forcedlMidiiig n the dark, irreparably / damaging the machine. The engines, intact, were conveyed to Cairo and re.fitted in tho new machine, and the j flight was resumed on 22nd Ffebruary | Khartoum where ho discovered le.flcs ih the water jackets necessitating

a change of cylinders. On the stage froni Khartoum to Mongalla, he encountered the most extraordinary experience of the trip. At one time he lost height to the extent of about 1500 feet in a little more than a minute. On another occasion he had a like ' drop of 2000 feet, which ho attributed to passing alternately over largo patch- j es of burnt and unburnt grass country. Flying across Uganda, he enemintered >'• dust devils, some of which rose as high j ns 8,000 feet. He was forced to land at Shirate through engine troubles, r due' to climatic conditions. After leav- ' ing Abercorn, 3,500 feet above the sea ■AS'' level, where he discarded everything indispensibie, in order to rise easily, ho had an anxious time en route to Noola, owing to thp interruption of the . petrol supply, the machine gradually . losing height* and flying over dense 1 African bush, matters looked black; ' j but owing to the loss of weight through ',

consumption of petrol, a level course was maintained to Noola, and Bula- / wayo was eventually reached. Leaving an March sth, the machine failed to rise in a dead patch of air, and was completely wrecked. The Union aeroplane, Voor Trekker, was sent to Bulawayo, and the aviators resumed their flight to Capetown, encountering en route a thunderstorm which badly chipped tho propeller ,and completely ;■> tore off the binding of the propellor. j This was replaced, and the journey was completed. j AIRMEN’S PRIZE. ! (Recoived tliis day at 10.10 a.m.) I CAPETOWN, March 22. | Government have awarded a prize of . £.5,000' "to be divided between. Van •R.ynveld and Brand.