AEROPLANE FLIGHT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5517, 23 December 1929, Page 2

AEROPLANE FLIGHT.

ACROSS NEW GUINEA. MR. P. EDWARDS’ EXPERIENCE. In the Papuan Courier of October 11 Mr Parry Edwards, brother of Mr Edwin Edwards, of Paeroa, who is establishing an aerodrome in Salamoa for his firm, has the following short description of the flight of the “Hamstead” from Paree across New Guinea to Lae Aerodrome, at Salamoa. Mr Edwards was in Australia when the Great War broke out, and he joined the Australian Flying Corps and qualified for his flying ticket. “We left the Moresby ’drome at 7.45 a.m. on Monday, 2nd, and made good time to Hombrom Bluff, over which we passed twelve minutes later. The Rona Falls showed up beautifully in the morning sunlight, and all on the machine felt on leaving them behind that we were at long last leaving port and all our good friends there, for a time at least. We all enjoyed our sojourn on that side, and one of our company at least intends travelling south via Port Moresby when that happy event comes along. “After a further 20 minutes’ flying over some rather precipitous country we passed Mt. Victoria on our left, and thence Captain Thomson manoeuvred the craft through high peaks and over very deep cloud-enshrouded gorges through “The Gap.” At this stage of the journey we were some 9000 ft up, and the air was cold enough to force us passengers in the saloon to further garb ourselves with “woollies.” “Once through the Gap we flew at 8000 ft for an hour, during which time the only sight we had of terra was the few mountain peaks popping up here and there through the clouds, which entirely obscured our view of the country over which we were flying. It was a rather uncanny sensation to be up above the “cotton wool” fields with no horizon visible but as the engines were buzzing along merrily engines were buzzing along merrily and our worthy pilot passed frequent notes as to just where he would strike the Morobe coast and the visibility he anticipated at that place, we, in the comfort of the saloon, had frequent nips from our thermos flasks and knew that the period of our lost view of Mother Earth was being regulated by the throttle in the cockpit. “At five past nine we caught a glimpse of a stream directly below us through the clouds, and some few minutes afterwards the beautiful expanse of the Pacific came into view, and at the time tiny white wavelets 5000 ft below were worrying away at the coast-line in the eternal endeavour to get at the mountains of the hinterland. We had made good time to the east coast, and located ourselves on the map by our direction from Mt. Albert Edward, which towered 13,000 ft into the heavens on our extreme left. 'From ten on Captain Thomson throttled down until we were skirting the coast-line at 2000 ft, and as the morning sun was on its very best behaviour by this time we had a splendid panorama of the coast and the plantations at intervals. On our right we passed many picturesque islands nestling on the glassy surface of the sea. At 9.25 a.m. we passed over the Government Station at Morobe. This outpost was for years the port of entry for southern New Guinea, but in consequence of mining Activities the district headquarters are now situated at Salamoa, some 80 miles north. Morobe from the air appears to be a most picturesque settlement, with the district officer’s residence built on the summit of a hill with a comprehensive view of the water on either side of the peninsula on which it is located. The remaining buildings are built on terraces at lower elevations contiguous to a zig-zag shell path. “Passing north of Morobe we flew over Luard, Hosken, and Straggling Islands in about 20 minutes, and, entering Huon Gulf, we passed over the middle of Longuerne Island, an elongated narrow strip abundantly covered with dense bush. From this point to Salamoa we made excellent time, and over the latter Captain Thomson spiralled to within a few hundred feet of the buildings, and after circling round and making an aerial inspection of the aerodrome, continued on the last phase of our flight to Lae. At 10.20 a.m. we sighted the smoke fires of the Lae ’drome, and within a few minutes our worthy pilot made a perfect landing. On '>ur arrival we were welcomed by Mr Ray Parer, at whose bungalow we were entertained to a very welcome cup of tea. It might be mentioned that the flight across was a record one as regards flying time, and could have been done in better time had Captain Thomson so desired. Also, by being a passenger, Mrs Hunter can lay claim to being the first lady to cross New Guinea by air. “After close inspections of the aerodrome at present under construction at Salamoa, Captain Thomson is of the opinion that in the very near-fu-ture this ’drome will be utilised as the air port for the Edie Creek and other goldfields inland.” The journey to the goldfields across New Guinea takes some three weeks to travel owing to the mountainous nature of the country, whereas an aeroplane can do the journey in about 2 hours 35 minutes.