ADVENTURE IN PLANE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1939, Page 2

ADVENTURE IN PLANE

FLIGHT IN BAD VISIBILITY. MASTERTON AIRMAN'S . EXPERIENCE. As an indication of the incidents that occur in an airman's life while on active service a letter just received by Mr and Mrs W. I. Armstrong, of Masterton from their son. Acting Pilot-Officer R. Armstrong, who is a member of the Royal Air Force stationed in England, makes interesting reading. ' “I've just arrived back from my most exciting trip till now.” he wrote on November 19. “I left on a triangular cross-country flight in medium visibility, clouds about 3000 feet. After 37 minutes I arrived at my first point, and set my course for the next. The weather was very nice then and I could map read quite nicely. Suddenly I ran into a thick bank of fog and mist. I was at 2000 ft and put the nose down, intending to carry on under it. It. is usually, clear about 1000 ft. Anyhow, I went clown and down. My altimeter showed less and less height, down to 1000 ft, further to 500 ft and still no visibility. I was doing 180 miles per hour and the country I was over was up to 900 ft in height. I lessened the angle of dive and it was not until .about 100 ft from the ground that I could dimly make out the trees and paddocks. Keeping my course, I put my wheels down and slowed down to about 120 miles per hour, my safest slowest speed, and went on. I expected to be out of it in a few minutes but it became worse. Things were getting serious, on account of the numerous villages I was passing over and the hills poking up every now and then. The visibility was so bad I had to fly just about 50ft from the ground, pulling up over tops of trees and missing hills by feet. Imagine it. visibility a few yards, dense white mist, shapes of the ground and trees below me and doing 120 miles per hour. By my map I saw that by keeping steadily on my course I should cross two railway lines and then, if my luck held, I should pick up my whereabouts. On and on. missing trees, scattering fowls, bolting horses and scaring every villager to death and the petrol gradually getting lower (she used 24 to 25 gallons an hour). I did this for 15 minutes and suddenly struck the railway line I was hoping to find. Luckily, just at that moment a train passed along the line or I may have missed it. I flew along the line and struck a town and was able to fly along a road and find the drome I was seeking. As I neared it I could see rockets and Verey lights which they were firing to attract my attention. I flew in and landed, believe me, quite relieved. If I hadn’t struck it then I would have had to force land in a field.”

Acting Pilot Officer Armstrong’s feat in finding the aerodrome and landing under such difficult conditions was regarded by the officers of the unit as a fine achievement and he was warmly congratulated on his success. He had to remain two days at the aerodrome before the weather cleared enough, to allow him to proceed.