TASMAN CROSSED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 6, 19 October 1935, Page 6

TASMAN CROSSED

O’HARA LANDS AT AUCKLAND.

FLYING BLIND MUCH OF WAY.

TRIP TAKES NEARLY 13 HOURS

(Per Press Association.)

-AUCKLAND, October IS

A solo ight of the Tasman Sea was made to-day by a New Zealander, Mr Walter Martin O’Hara, aged 35, flying a small Klemm Eagle monoplane. He left Sydney at 7.45 a.m. New Zealand time, and arrived at Mangeie aerodrome at 8.-32 p.m. He carried no wii-eless, and the -first news of him was when he flew over Waiuku, 40 miles train Auckland. Mangere was promptly advised, and flares were lit to ensure a safe landing. Mr O’Hara was soon heard approaching -Mange*©.' In landing, the uiidei-carriage of the machine was damaged, bixt the pilot climbed out unhurt, and showed little effects of the ordeal of the solo flight

Describing the flight, Mr O’Hara said he left the Richmond aerodrome, Sydney, just in time, as fog xvas coming down. <£ l liad to stay there until it was light, as I had no flares witii which to take off,” said Mr O'Hara. “In spit© of the load, the machine took off well, without any trouble, in about 300 yai-ds. I flew south to'Gerringoiig, about 80 miles, and at 5.10 a.m. (Australian time), just as we were nicety in the air, the sun rose over the mountains near Sydney. I tm*ned the machine eastward, and immediately started climbing oh account of there being low clouds to the north. “In Trouble.” “At 8.30 I had to start climbing again, and was soon at 9000 feet. Half an hour later I xvas at 10,000 feet. Conditions became very rough, and I got into trouble. Thei-e Were clouds all round, and I ,was flying blind. When I ran into the hail the wings were frozen over thickly, and in no time were Covered by a sheet of -ice. In spite of this thei‘e was no difficulty in controlling the machine, but I put the nose down and opened the thi’ottle to get into more pleasant flying weather. 1 came out of the clouds at 5000 feet into sunshine, and the ice quickly dispersed. The sea was quite calm. At 10.45 a.m. I had my morning tea—a flask of tea and some sandwiches. Heavy rain at 11.30 a.m. forced me to fly south - easterly. Visibility to the south was good all the time, but at this stage it xfas just a blank xvall to tiie north, although the running was fairly smooth. I took the opportunity to read the mail handed me just before I left Richmond. Flying High. “Noon found us again flying high. We xvei’e at 8000 feet and being steadily pushed up because of the clouds. At 2 p.m. I went under the clouds and saw the ocean foi* the first time in about three hours. From then on I xvas able to keep beloxv the clouds at heights ranging from 1000 Jo 4OGO feet.

“I was flying at about 2000 feet when I. sighted a mountain shrouded in clouds, which I took to be Mount Egmont. I was about 40 miles out. and slightly north of the mountain for which I had aimed wKen I first saw it. The time then was about 4.30 u.m. f turned, the machine gradually northward, and on nearing the coast passed over some men in a dinghy, apparently fishino-. This was about 5 o’clock. This was the first sign of life on the whole trip, as I sighted no ships oil the wav. “By this time it was rapidly getting dark, and I switched! on my navigation light and used the torch I had carried with me to read the instruments. “Some of the least pleasant weathe, of the whole trip was encountered on the flight up the coast where I was flying blind. Several times it was raining. At intervals the clouds weie low, keeping my altitude down, an knew the country 4 was too hilly to go inland. Away in the distance I could see the haze of Auckland’s lights, and then saw a township. I went in ovei the township, but wh?n I got- there I found myself flying blind again, and so turned about and went right back to the coast. I followed the surf line up to Manukau heads, and then flew up the Manukau harbour. Verey lights fired from the ground attracted my attention while I was some distance away, and I was approaching the aerodrome by map reading at about 2UOUit.

The Landing. ' “The lights served to locate the landing field for me, and after cii cling several times over the flares I came into land. I saw the flares, but unfortunately did not see the . fence through the wet windscreen, with its bewildering reflections. I imagined I saw a. hill directly ahead and momentarily opened the throttle to carry me over it. The machine landed, and I thought I had plenty of room, but about 10 yards ahead I saw a fence. In spite of jamming on the brakes the machine went straight through the fence, carrying away a section. I was unhurt, and the damage to the machine is not extensive. “The flight was sufficiently safe and comfortable to give me no qualms about undertaking the return journey in the same machine.

“I had a hook and read a lot when it was not too rough. Before leaving Sydney I. looked round a bookshop and got a thriller with the biggest print I could find. The flight was not tedious, as I had plenty to do, although I did not have the trouble of pumping by band petrol from the cabin tank to the wing tanks. The automatic pumps took care of the fuel supply. I had to feed the engine with oil, however, to keep pace with its normal consumption of a quart an hour. A pipe had.been run from the cockpit to the motor, and every hour I poured a quart from tins in the cabin to the motor.” Mr Walter Martin O’Hara is die eldest son of Mrs M. O’Hara, of M arkworth, and the late Mr Patrick O’Hara, of Wharepoa, Thames Valley. Mr O’Hara is'37 years of age, and unmarried. He saw service during the Great War with the machine-gun corps, New Zealand Expeditionary Fbrce, having enlisted as private and later

being promoted to commissioned rank. Mr O’Hara has been living at Dampit, Java, since the war. He first obtained his flying license at the Perth Aero Club, Western Australia, some years ago. He has flown quite a lot in Java and Australia.