AEROPLANE THRILLS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 February 1933, Page 6

AEROPLANE THRILLS

FORCED AT SEA. TAXI TRIP THROUGH WAVES. , When flying ffbm King Island, ill Bass Strait, to Melbourne, on .January 26, an amphibian aeroplane, belonging to the Matthews Aviation Company, in which there were two pilots and four passengers, three of them women, was forced to-'land on the ocean and taxi 25 miles through rough seas to-tlie c-oast with the aid of the one engine that was functioning.

About the same time another amphibian, owned by the same company, with two women passengers on hoard, was in difficulties farther east in Bas s Strait. The pilot descended r.n' the sea "near tlie lighthouse steamer Cape' York to which the women were transferred. This machine was the Cutty Sark, which was making a trip to Flinders Island' from Melbourne with Miss Nancy Lyle, daughter of Lady Lyle, of Toorak, and a friend. Miss Williams. The pilot was Mr Norman Chapman. Westerly squalls delayed tlie machine, and when half-way across Bass Strait, Mr Chapman decided to return to the Victorian Coast. The visibility was so poor that -Mr Chapman was unable to locate the aerodrome at Wilson’s Promontory, where he had intended to land, so he descended near the steamer Cape York which was standing off the - promontory, waiting flor the seas to subside so that it could land stores for the lighthouse there. Because of the poolvisibility, Mr Chapman had flown the Cutty Sark for 30 miles only. 10 feet above the sea.

A launch from the Cape York transferred Miss Lyle- and Miss Williams from the aeroplane to the steamer. This was a dangerous task, because (there & was' a heavy sea running. The launch was tossed against the machine [arid tore a hole in one of the wings. The two wofnen were accomodated on the steamer, which took them to Melbourne two or three days later.

\ Mr flhapman took off in the Cutty Sark and landed in Gippsland. He remained there for-the night, and returned to the Ess ended aerodrome next day.- 'Mr Chapman sent a. wire- I '' less message to the Cape "York, offering.to fly to tho steamer and bring Miss Lyle and Miss Williams hack to Melbourne, biit lie was- informed that the sea was so rough that lie would not he able to alight with safety.

A mechanic was sent "from the Essen'den" aerodrome to. make repairs to the engines of tlie other machine, a Saro-Wi.ndli.Dver, which was -stranded oil theuencmnear ',sle moutly of the, Kennett River 15' miles from Apollo Bay. When Captain Frank Neale was beaching ' the maehiiio waves smashed •the elevator and the rudder.