CAIRO TO THE CAPE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 March 1920, Page 5

CAIRO TO THE CAPE.

THE TIMES EXPEDITION. PROFESSOR'S EXPERIENCES. London, March 7. Though he has just emerged from the dangers, worries, and hardships of a 2700 miles pioneering flight into the heart of Africa, Professor Peter Chalmers Mitchell, who was in charge of the Times machine which crashed at Tabora in an attempt to fly to the Cape, discusses the enterprise like an enthusiastic schoolboy. In his first detailed message from Dar-es-Salaam lie suras up the situation thus: "Notwithstanding my experiences, I would gladly repeat the attempt from the same place, with the same crew, and with improved engines." The actual flying time from Hcliopolis to Tabora, in former German East Africa, was 36i hours, averaging 75 miles an hour. He considers that the Cape could easily be reached in five days with normal engines, travelling between 0 am. and noon.

Professor Mitchell, who describes himself as a middle-aged and sedentary passenger, adds that he found the air motion at its worst better than the sea, and ordinarily better than the train. Writing, reading and eating were more pleasant, and the journey less tiring.

While the capsize at Tabora gave an inevitable impression of the fragility of the machine, it also indicated that an aircrash involved the passengers in less danger than a corresponding road or rail smash. He expects that the route will soon be quite suitable for private travellers.

"With good pilots the risk to life if extremely small," he adds, "though the risk to the machine is considerable, hence passenger and commercial services would require relays of machines." Discussing the blacks whom they met on the route, and who were mostly friendly, Professor Mitchell says that a knowledge of native language is unimportant. All the natives answer to the name of "George," and understand handshaking- Cigarettes, grins, and gestures often proved helpful.Captain Cockerill, the pilot of the Times machine, says: "The art of flying has developed a knowledge of how to crash with the least injury to the pilots and passengers,"