THE AIR RACE.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1919, Page 5

THE AIR RACE.

CAPTAIN ROSS SMITH. ARRIVAL AT SINGAPORE. By Telegraph.—Press Ajssa.- Copyright. Sydney, Dec. 5. Captain Ross Smith cables from Singapore on December 4: "I, left Bangkok on December 2 at 7 o'clock and arrived at Singora at 1 o'clock. I was escorted for the first fifty miles by four Siamese machines. My course lay south along the east coast of Malay. For the first two hours the weather was good, then there was heavy monsoon rain. The wind was strong and changeable, sometimes helping and sometimes against me. I was almost blinded by rain, but the country was impossible for landing and I had to continue in the worst flying conditions I have ever encountered. "The last hour was better. The aerodrome landing at Singora was bad and stumpy. I had to land in a cross wind on a "small dry patch, but got safely down with luck. Later, while taxi-ing the machine tail skid caught the boot and broke the fitting. It was not serious. "I decided that, owing to weather I could not reach Singapore without more petrol and wired to Penang to send a supply urgently. During the night there we--> heavy squalls and the crew held the machine all night. On December 3 there was torrential rain with wind. I repaired the skid. The crew were wet through working at the machine all day, but were cheerful. The petrol arrived in the evening, but it was raining too bard to put it in. 'The 4th was my birthday. The weather was bad, but I decided to jfcry for Singapore. I left Singora at 10 o'clock and arrived at Singapore at 5 o'clock. The take-off at Singora was very rough, but convicts had cleared the stumps from the aerodrome, which was very wet in patches, but I got off luckily in a cress wind. There was rain all the way. I flew at from 2000 to 5000 feet all the way. I had a great reception at Singapore by a huge crowd. "I hope to reach Java on the 6th and Darwin on the 10th. The Vimy and crew art well."

According to the la9t cabled advices Captain Ross Smith, the pilot of Vickers Vimy machine, arrived at Singapore on Thursday. He now has nine days before him in which to reach Australia to qualify for the Commonwealth Government's prize of £IO,OOO. The following table shows the progress made by Captain. Ross Smith since he left London:— Nov, 12. —Left London. Nov. 12.—Lyons. Nov. 13—Pisa. Nov. 15.—Rome. Nov. IC—Taranto. Nov. 17.—Suda Bay. Nov. 18.—Cairo. Nov. 19.—Damascus. Nov. 20.—Ramadie. Nov. 20.—Basra. Nov. 23.—Bnshire. Nov. 24.—Bunder Abbas. Nov. 24—Karachi. Nov. 25.—Delhi. Nov. 27.—Allahabad. Nov. 29.—Calcutta. Nov 29.—Akyab. Nov. 30.—Rangoon. Dec I.—Bangkok. Dec. 4.—Arrived Singapore. POULET DELAYED. MEETS WITH ENGINE TROUBLE. i Rangoon, Dec. 4. Poulet started in the morning and had almost crossed the Gulf of Mataban when engine trouble developed and he decided to return to Rangoon for a thorough overhaul. CAPTAIN MATTHEWS. STILL IN THE RACE. London, Dec. 2. The cablegram stating that Captain Matthews had returned to London was incorrect. He cabled on the 3rd that he had arrived in Vienna with the Sopwith machine. He hopes soon to start for Belgrade. Bad weather and lack of petrol were responsible for the delay. THE MARTINSYDE. DEPARTURE PROM LONDON. ' London, Dec. 4. The Martinsyde machine, piloted byLieut. Howell, left Hounslow at 9.34 and made an excellent start.