LATER.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17978, 25 March 1930, Page 7

LATER.

DETAILS OF THE TRIP. DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. LOST THE ROAD. FRIENDLY NATIVE CHIEFTAIN. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. —Copyright. (Received .March 25, 11.30 a.in.) DARWIN, .March 25. Flying-Officers Kaye and Piper left Croydon aerodrome at 0.30 o’clock on the morning of February 10 in a Do Soutlcr areopiane fitted with a 500 horsepower Cirrus Hermes engine, and petrol capacity for seven hours. Owing to heavy head winds Hie petrol was finished north of the Lyon’s aerodrome. Two and a-half hours’ delay followed, because when they sent for petrol the French authorities sent hack a mechanic instead. From Lyons to Avignon they encountered had snowstorms. Flying ! fifty feet above the river Rhine the airI men could not see their water, j Leaving Avignon, more snow hami pered Hi cm along the French coast and } for an hour j No Sight of Land was obtainable and Hie aviators were forced to land at Pisa where the River Arno was in heavy flood. Further delay occurred here, as no petrol supply 'was available. They finally flew lo Naples against heavy head winds and through Hie smoke of Mount Vesuvius. Visibility was practically nil and both men were almost smothered by fumes from the crater. A good run was made to Sicily, although heavy rain storms assailed the plane. 'flic airman, saw lava from Mount Etna running down Hie mountain side. They landed at Malta which they left again at four o’clock next morning in an attempt to cross the sea to Benghazi African Coast 100 miles away. After three hours’ flying in the dark they, saw an aerodrome five miles oil j and were advised lo keep along ihe sea front on account of hostile tribes. I Owing to bad head winds, they I landed at lobruk, stopping there one I night in a j Filthy Native House 1 The next day they made a direct f flight to Abonkir and from there finally to Ohaz.i. t They then flew along the Suez Canal, j Heavy clouds over the Dead Sea forced them to turn towards Xiza, hut ! owing lo Hie name, of Hie place being ! changed they could not find it and finally landed at Annin where Ihe areoi drome was in a badly-flooded stale, i They then proceeded across Ihe : desert- lo Moughba wells. Floods had washed Ihe roads away. The | airmen took a wrong turning and flew ; over’hostile country. They finally rej turned to Xiza, and Ihe Royal Air Force | showed thorn the road lo Amanana. I where two days’ delay occurred ! through bad weather. J They then wen 110 Zirka In procure I petrol and flew thence to Baghdad, ! Bazi, Bushire and Jask, in that order.

At the last named place a forced landing was made owing to engine trouble. Leaving there in Hie dark, they were forced to land on Hie sea beach and a Friendly Native Chief made Hie tribesmen push the plane back to the aerodrome at .Task. On resuming Hie flight a good run was made lo Karachi, whence they went on to .ludapur, through heavy, low-lying clouds, and had to land at Hyderabad. Making a fresh start from Hyderabad, a forced landing was found necessary near Judapur. On a second attempt to reach Allahabad, heavy winds and low oil pressure compelled a forced descent at Jansi, hut Allahabad was reached tlic same night. On the next day’s flight to Calcutta had engine trouble was experienced, hut they arrived safely the same afternoon, and look off for Akyab. Leaving Akyab, engine trouble forced the men to land on Western Baronga Island, where there arc no Europeans. They returned to Akyab in a native Ashing boat, the trip occupying five hours under a roasting sun- After Waiting Three Weeks for spare parts, (lie men flew from Akyab to Rangoon. Leaving the latter place they confronted a mountain 6000 feci high, and covered with heavy clouds. They decided to go under the clouds, hut found Hie smoke so dense that they could not see in the gully. They then resolved lo go above the clouds" and found a plain surrounded by hills, with oil pressure poor. Several hours’ battling against the wind followed, before Bangkok was reached. Thence they made a non-stop run to Singapore, and another lo Batavia, when Die. Worst Storm of the Whole Trip was encountered. The Alight to Sourabaya was uneventful. They then tried to reach Aiamboea. hut had -weather forced a landing on the beach, where (lie plane stuck in Hie soft sand. Next day. with native help, they maile a runway, look Ihe air. and arrived at Aiamboea. whence they made a non-stop run of over 400 miles to Darwin. Owing to the floods at Daly Waters and Newcastle, and the no fuel is available at either place. Kaye and Piper will lie unable lo continue their flight to-day, as intended. Both speak in high lerms of Ihe hospitality experienced during Ihe trip.