Meteor Flirts With Flier

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 352, 5 February 1937, Page 8

Meteor Flirts With Flier

PERTH.—PiIot James Woods, route manager of the Macßobertson-Miller Aviation Company, had the most surprising experience of his flying career, war service included, on. his last inspection flight over the Derby-Perth air route. '

He was completing the section from Carnarvon to Broome when dusk overtook him about 40 miles south of Broome. The darkness deprived him of an opportunity to mark the spot of a most interesting natural phenomenon. ‘‘Jim,” who is well known for his direct description of any experience, tells his true tall story vividly. “About 7 o’clock I was surprised to see my machine brilliantly lighted up, with a bluish kind of light. I looked at my engines and as 1 slightly banked my plane I saw the trail of a ifleteor at about what I estimated to be about 600 yards away from me.

“The appearance of the mysterious body was brilliant, and quite lighted up the gathering darkness. 1 saw the body strike the ground quite near the coast, and could not fail to observe the long reddish tail, showing in sharp contrast with the whitish brilliance.

' “For apparently three or gour miles around the country was lighted up, darkness recurring with striking suddenness as the meteoric body struck the ground. “When I arrived at Broome, people awaiting the arrival of the plane to!d me they had seen the meteor and advised me such objects of late had been appearing rather frequently, one man! telling me that he had actually heard down in Roebuck country to the south the thud of the meteor hitting the earth.”