SEAPLANE’S CONTROL

Hokitika Guardian, 19 February 1930, Page 2

SEAPLANE’S CONTROL

TARGET FOR STONE THROWERS

AUCKLAND, Feb. 17

A special reporter of the Star.” who left Auckland on H.Ai.S. Diomede and returned by the Tofuo this afternoon has. supplied the following account of operations at Samoa. The decision of the Government to send a moth seaplane to Samoa on the Dunedin was a wise one. The plane, piloted by Flight-Lieutenant Wallingford, has carried out much good work, having gone aloft on long patrols in all sorts of weather, and in conjunction with naval operations proved to be the “ eyes ” of the Dunedin and the naval men ashore. Might-Lieu.en-ant Wallingford carried out' most of his observation work under 500 feet and at times went as low as 50 feet over a tall eoconnut palms, when lie ■desired to peep into the tales in search of natives wearing purple lavalavas.

The Samoan is an expert stone thrower. Flight-Lieutenant Wallingford had an exciting experience of this one dav, when making a circuit of the island and flying almost at water level near the coast. A tall Pamoan, presumably one of the Alan, threw a stone and narrowly missed striking the piopeller. The pilot was . not certain whether the native was in playful or serious mood, so did a banking turn and flew over the same village again. The Samoan was not joking, for he despatched another stone dangerously near the plane. FTe had to be taught a lesson, so Flight-Lieutenant Wallingford took a Verev light pistol and fired a couple of brightly coloured shots at the stone thrower, who lost no time in making for safety inside a house. So low was the seaplane at the time that the \ erev shot ignited the thatching of the fale. No move stones were thrown after that from a village on the south coast. On another occasion the pilot spotted two large ifautasi (native canoes) making for the island o'f Ravaii on the other side of Apolimn Strait. He fired n few shots, from his Verov pistol This caused the canoes to turn hack to Upolu, thus preventing Alan crews from escaping to the other island. The only armament used from the Moth was a signal cartridge perfectly harmless, and used more for effect, this quickly caused the Samoans to refer to the seaplane as “the bird that spits fire.”