Chichester Arrives

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 881, 27 January 1930, Page 9

Chichester Arrives

NEW ZEALANDER AT DARWIN Lone Flight From England FORCED DOWN LATER United P. A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Received 10.30 a.m. DARWIN, Sunday. MR. F. C. CHICHESTER, the New Zealand airman, arrived ! H at Darwin at 3.15 p.m. yesterday, after 36 days out trom Croydon Airdrome, England. He was given a great reception. A message from London says Chichester’s success was broadcast throughout the country, and many complimentary references were made to his pluck and perseverance.

Chichester lert again on Sunday morning for Brunette Downs, whence he will travel to Cloncurry and Charleville, and in easy stages to Sydney, omitting Brisbane. Leaving Darwin yesterday morning, Chichester later arrived at Brunette Downs Station, but found no residents there. This morning he again took the air hut was forced down four miles out of the township of Camooweal on account of petrol shortage. He had breakfast there, and intends going to town to refuel. Chichester’s explanation at Darwin of his secrecy at the start is that he was prepared to talk about the flight after rather than before it had been accomplished. By his remarkable journey alone the airman joins the company of Hinkler and Lindbergh. His flying time for the flight has not yet been worked out, but it is expected that it will not greatly exceed Hinkler’s 134 hours. Hinkler’s flight, however, was made In an old-type machine, whereas the

New Zealander used the latest De Haviland Gipsy Moth with a cruising speed of 90 miles an hour. Chichester’s crash in the swamps of Tripoli, North Africa, early in January, damaged the propeller of his airplane and ended his chance of beating Hinkler’s record. Spare parts were obtained and the airman resumed, his flight on January 9. ENGINE OVERHAULED Though Chichester’s zest for adventure was damped by the receipt of the news of his wife’s death at Wellington, steady progress attended his journey of 800 miles non-stop from Tripoli. That took him to Abosivla, where his brother was in charge of his oil supplies. At Raffia wells he had to have the valvtes of his engine overhauled and at Calcutta further attention was given to them by native mechanics, who worked at high pressure and enabled him to get away next day. The flyer narrowly escaped a crash at Point Victoria owing to the small space and the boggy nature of the landing ground. The people of Singapore welcomed him warmly. He had a day’s rest at Batavia, Java, where his engine was overhauled. Owing to the monsoons Mr. Chichester had to drop to Sourabaya after leaving Batavia as the visibility was poor. His next hop was to Atamboea —one of the longest he flew —but the journey only occupied 6 hours 10 minutes. From Atamboea Chichester flew to Darwin direct. He had a good trip and picked up Melville Island only a qaurter of a degree out" of his bearing. That hop included three and threequarter hours over the water. FAULTY PLANS Chichester says he would have reached Darwin on Friday but for the fact that his Dutch plans proved to be faulty. The residents of Darwin were much concerned at his non-arrival on Friday, but their delight today was shown In the wonderful reception accorded to him. Today Chichester is to fly to Burnett’s Downs and on to Sydney, which he expects to reach on Tuesday. A Sydney message says there is yet no word whether F. C. Chichester left Darwin in continuation of his flight to Sydney. Previous flights between England and Australia have been made as follows: November-December, 1919.-—Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith, in stages, a total distance of 11,295 miles, in 124 flying hours. June-October, 1926. —Sir Alan Cobham, return flight, 28,000 miles in 230 flying hours. February, 1928.—Mr. Bert Hinkler, total distance, 10,340 miles, in 15i days. June-July, 1929. —Squadron - Leader Kingsford Smith, Flight-Lieutenant C. T. P. Ulm, T. H. McWilliams and H. A. Litchfield, in Southern Cross, Australia to England. 10.500 miles, in 12 days 12 i hours. In addition to the above flights, Captain W. N. Lancaster and Mrs. Keith Miller flew from Croydon to Australia. They left on October 14. 1927, and after several mishaps and delays landed at Port Darwin on March 19, 1928.