Planes Lashed Down in North-West Gale

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 479, 8 October 1928, Page 1

Planes Lashed Down in North-West Gale

hangar open to rain monoplane and moth Press Association. BLENHEIM, To-day. Th« airdrome at Blenheim today looks like a weather-bound harbour, with the Southern Cross, Mr. Douglas Mill’s Moth and two Bristol Fighters all firmly moored, with gusty wind and rain coming straight down the field from the north-west. In no other place in the Dominion apart from the Wigram Airdrome has such a collection of airplanes of different types been seen. One of Blenheim’s special brand of westerlies sprang up yesterday, making the tarpaulin roof of the hangar l, u lge and flap wildly. Flight-Lieut. Ulw had a look at the hangar in the afternoon and, fearing that if the tarpaulin pulled loose a piece of might drop, damaging the wings of the Southern Cross, ordered the tarpaulin to be taken off. Its removal was a job like handling the sails of an old wind-jammer in a gale but, with the aid of volunteer helpers, it was finally accomplished safely. The Bristols and the Moth were pegged down safely, the latter looking ridiculously tiny under one wing of Kingsford Smith's great monoplane. This morning again Kingsford Smith and Ulm inspected the Southern Cross and decided that it was better to leave the hangar open to the rain which is coming up than to risk putting back the tarpaulins in a gusty wind. One Bristol and the Moth, which are in the hangar, were secured by ropes. Tho other Bristol was moored firmly under the lee of a large haystack. There is a possibility of the Bristols being flown to the municipal airdrome and put into the club hangar to keep them dry. As soon as a favourable mid-day weather report is received, the Southern Cross will be fuelled and preparations for a start finalised in the afternoon.