PIPER AND KAY ARRIVE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 948, 15 April 1930, Page 1

PIPER AND KAY ARRIVE

Fliers Welcomed in Auckland FLOTILLA OF PLANES OVERHEAD PIPER and Kay are here in Auckland. A quartet of Auckland airplanes, their silver wings shining in a bright morning sun, stunted and circled in precise evolutions over the Ulimaroa as she slowly steamed round North Head. It formed but part of the welcome to two of New Zealand's noted airmen. At the wharf the distinguished home-comers received a rousing reception from hosts of relatives, friends and Aero Club and Air Force officials.

Tile story they could tell of their flight from England to Australia was one of perils by land and sea, but both Kay and Piper, who are flying-officers in the Royal Air Force, were reserved and a little reluctant to discuss -the “high” lights of their adventurous trip. They are likeable fellows and, despite their hazardous experiences, both appeared exceptionally well and their countenances still bore the effects of the burning deserts over which they passed and on which they were stranded.

Between Singapore and Batavia the fliers ran into an electrical storm, which was one of the worst experienced during the trip. The lightning played along the wing tops, and for nearly an hour it was a question of blind flying. Later the weather cleared and they were well received by the Dutch on their arrival at Java. More storms, sleeping in native huts, and forced landings, were featured on the programme to Darwin, which also included a hazardous flight of over 440 miles across the sea.

“We found flying in Australia rather difficult because they do not seem to have any definite maps or charts of the wild north,’* said Kay. “We had a forced landing there, and just incidentally we were not far from where Anderson and Hitchcock perished. But we maanged to retrace the stock tracks and got back to safety.” While in the north of Australia, tho New Zealanders also met the Australian fliers, Shiers and Smith, who were forced down and are still waiting for parts for their machine before their flight to England. Both Piper and Kay intend to d.» some flying during their stay in New Zealand, and they brought with them on the Ulimaroa this morning their machine, a De Soutter, which they have named the Aorangi. Flying-Officer Kay is an Aucklander, with a most successful record in the Royal Air Force,, which he. joined in England for a five years’ term in July, 1926. He is in his 27th year. Hfs first appointment was to the training school at Abu Sair, in Egypt, where, after nine mouths* service, he contracted enteric, and was sent back to England on furlough. There he had opportunity to study at the Sealand, I” unston, and Salisbury military schools, and at the CaJthorpe Navigation School. At present he is attached to a division of the Air Force at Catterick.

Kay, the Aucklander, was spokesman. “The conditions were really bad,” he said. "We went through snow storms, rain storms, and against head winds, day after day. It seemed that we would never strike good weather, and it was indeed a relief one day when we had a good following wind.” ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY The airmen, indeed, had one of the most adventurous journeys yet accomplished over the route. They w r ere forced down eight times —often in most precarious areas—and on one occasion were lost in the desert and were fortunate to avoid hostile natives. Even through the rather reserved attitude of the fliers, one could acquire vividly, a pithy story of real adventure and thrills, crowned in so many cases by trying hardships. “What was the idea of the trip anyhow?”

Kay smiled when asked this question. “Well, for one thing, v r e wanted to be the first New Zealanders to lhake the route by air; but, of course, we had not heard of Chichester then. Then we both got leave from the Air Ministry and it was one way of getting home for a holiday,” explained Kay. “When we left for the airdrome in England the snow was on the ground. We flew for about half an hour before we hit the coast. It was a good run for a while, but then we met strong head winds and owing to shortage of petrol we made a forced landing north of Dijon. And that was the first of our long string of mishaps,” said Kay. THROUGH SNOWSTORM

Flying-Officer Piper, whose happy grin made him an immediate favourite, is a member of a Christchurch family. The aviators met at one of the English flying schools. A reception to the fliers is to be held at Mangere this evening. WELCOMED BY MAYOR CIVIC RECEPTION GIVEN FLIGHT NOT A “STUNT” “It is pleasant to recognise merit at any time, and particularly so when those deserving of recognition are ouv own people, as in the case of FlyingOfficers Piper and Kay,” said the Mayor, Mr. George Baildon, in a civic welcome given the two airmen at the Town Hail at midday today. He congratulated the men on accomplishing their adventurous journey. Although the trip from England to Australia had been made by several machines, this had several features which made it an outstanding flight. The aviators had showed pluck and determination in winning through in spite of adverse weather conditions and mechanical troubles. The flight was not a “stunt” hut an up-to-date method of visiting relatives in a short time. Auckland was specially interested in Mr. Kay, said Mr. Baildon. He was a Parnell boy, and had spent many years here before going to England to join the Royal Air Force, where the two men had received the training that enabled them to overcome the difficulties they met. He wished them future success. The flight was a particularly notable one as, since the war years, aviation in the Dominion had been in the doldrums, said Mr. Spencer Mason, chairman of the Auckland Aero Club. The aviators had showed what an airplane could do under the worst of conditions, very different to those met with in commercial flying. It needed grit to tackle the final long flight over water after the engine trouble experienced earlier. He invited the airmen to make full use of the club’s equipment and grounds at ! Mangere in preparing their machine 1 tor the flight round the Dominion. The Mayor then led three cheers for j the two visitors.

Through a heavy snowstorm the fliers took off a day later and flew over the Rhone Vaiiey at a height of about 50ft., later to make a landing on an airdrome in France which was covered with ice. From there they continued, ever meeting the worst of flying conditions. At nights they found various sleeping places; sometimes in a lonely farmhouse. In Italy they crossed mountains which forced them to fly at a height of 6,000 ft. And on that occasion it was sheer blind flying for nearly half an hour. Then they experienced the more pleasant sensation of cruising over French coastal resorts, but later at Pisa they landed at the airdrome in a spray of water. The ground was flooded but it was deceiving from the air. With only a light load they found it possible to get away the following day, and after experiencing the uncanny and unusual experience of flying through the dense columns of smoke issuing from Mount Vesuvius, ran into a bad rainstorm before arriving at Malta. It was before daybreak one morning that the airmen set out to cross the Mediterranean, a flight of 412 miles. For two hours they forged ahead in the dark, and by daybreak they were forced to alter their course owing to a strong wind. Event-rally they landed at a small town on the outskirts of Africa. Here they were advised not to go inland owing to the tribes of hostile natives, who were in the habit of shooting at any plane which passed overhead. But that day they re-fueled and set off, to finally land at a small settlement, -where they were well received at an Arab house. LOST IN DESERT And so Kay tells the story. All of 1 it most interesting and filled with adventure. But there was still much in ! store for the fliers. Once they were lost in a desert, owing to previous floods having washed away the stock tracks which they were following. They landed and had a smoke, little realising that the tracks that had been washed away were used by warlike natives. They set a new course and reached Bagdad. Leaving Jask, in Persia, and going out to sea the engine cut out They turned back and were lucky in making a landing on a beach. Later they again experienced engine trouble while | over the water, and on this occasion | landed on a small island. They walked through miles of jungle and finally hailed a fisherman, who took them to the mainland to a Burmese town. The following day they returned to the Island and took the engine from the plane and started repairing it. It took three weeks and in the meantime the plane remained at the Island covered with native mats. While here they were well treated and met the port officer, Commander Price, a New Zealander.

“The show we put up was not as good as we had hoped,” said FlyingOfficer Kay, modestly, in replying to the Mayor. “We had hoped to be the first New Zealanders to reach the Dominion, but we were passed on the way by Mr. Chichester, to whom all credit should go.” Both he and Flying-Officer Piper thanked their listeners for their reception.