ARRIVAL OF DAKOTAS IN ENGLAND

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5323, 8 February 1947, Page 5

ARRIVAL OF DAKOTAS IN ENGLAND

Crew To Ferry Mosquitoes Back To America LONDON, Feb. 7. Snow was falling when the two Dakotas, with 28 members of the air crew who are to ferry Mosquito boijibers to New Zealand, landed at the Manston aerodrome in Kent, under the command of Wing-Cc-m-mander L. A. Parry, A.F.C-. The airNerews will have to await an improvement in the weather before their Mosquitoes are re-tested and the ferry fiights begun. After inspection the txvo Dakotas are expected to talce off for New Zealand about February .19. "We had a most enjoyable flight and everybody is fit and well," said Wing'-Cc-mmancler Parry. "All the way from New Zealand to India the weather was excellent and we did not meet a drop of rain. We ran into a strong headwind in Irak. "Due to the weather the aircraft

were separated at Malta, one gomg via Marseilles to Maiiston, and the other flying via Lyons and Paris. "The aircraft stood up very well to the flight — the first ever made by Dalco-tas from New Zealand to England, I believe — and they were not affected by the extremes of temperature. In Australia we had 107 degrees and here at Manston it is about minus two or three. "The only delay occurred at Singapore, where one aircraft had to have an engine change. We weiie there for eight days." The Dakotas left New Zealand on January 1. The route to Malta was via Norfolk Island, Brishane, .Cloncurry, Darwin, Sourabaya, Singanorc. Penang-, Calcutta, Karachi, ITabbaniya, Lydda and E1 Adem.