SAFELY OVER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 272, 16 November 1936, Page 9

SAFELY OVER.

'FARMER FLYER' TASMAN CROSSED. CLARK'S GREAT FEAT. TUMULTUOUS WELCOME. «I FLEW ACROSS—THAT'S ALL" (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sunday. Making a night landing by the light of flares and motor car headlights, Mr. Ernie Clark, the young Canterbury flyer, arrived at Wigram aerodrome a few minutes after 8.30 o'clock to-night to complete his long flight from England. The airman had left Richmond aerodrome, Sydney, at 5.34 a.m., New Zealand time, and made his first landing in the Dominion at Blenheim 12 hours 49 minutes later, at 0.23 p.m. His flight from Australia was the twentieth crossing of the Tasman by air, and the fourth direct solo trip. Mr. Clark said he had no anxiety during the Tasman trip. When he landed at Blenheim, Mr. j Clark intended to stay the night there. He was easily persuaded from Christchurch, however, to take to the air again and finish the journey to his home province. A vast crowd of between 20,000 and 30,000 people gave the North Canterbury farmer-flyer one of the most tumultuous welcomes any airman lias received here. Thousands broke the barriers and rushed madly across the field in the dark, shouting and cheering, to surround the machine until the engine had to be stopped. On a firm appeal being made by the pilot, the surging crowd parted to let the aeroplane through, but for a moment the crowd was out of hand. Thousands tried to shake Mr. Clark's hand as officials ushered him, with difficulty, to the clubhouse for the official welcome. "We Want Clark." The landing was actually made in the dark, flares being lighted along the r.unway and the lamps of hundreds of motor cars sending long beams of light across the ground. Mr. Clark circled the aerodrome twice before landing,- but it was so dark that the machine could not be seen when it touched the ground. ' As the waiting crowd heard the dying drone of the engine they broke past the barriers and the police and rushed across to where Mr. Clark had landed. Owing to the press of people all round the club hangars the aeroplane was taken into | one of the Defence Force hangars, and 'Mr. Clark was escorted* with difficulty to the clubhouse, while thousands shouted and cheered, calling "We want Clark." A brief account of his trip across the Tasman was given by Mr. Clark in an interview by telephone with Wellington 10 minutes after he- had landed at Blenheim. "It was nothing very much," he said. "I just flew across. That is about all. I took off from Richmond in pitch darkness at 3.34 a.m., and for about an hour and a half, until the day broke, I was flying blind across the sga," he said. "After daylight "1 struck clouds and squalls of rain and that sort of thing, and I varied my height above the sea to suit the different conditions. For the last part of the way the weather was quite clear, but then I ran into a head wind which slowed me considerably. It was a better day for flying the Tasman in the other direction.". Petrol Running Low. Mr. Clark said that his aeroplane had behaved splendidly, without giving any trouble at any stage, or giving him the slightest cause for anxiety. His supply of petrol had been sufficient, but owing to the delay caused by encountering a south-easterly wind it had begun to run short as he approached the coast. This was his reason for landing at Blenheim. Asked if at any time lie felt worried, Mr. Clark replied: "The take-off was the only thing. The machine was heavily loaded, and I was afraid I might not manage to get her into the air. It was not very pleasant taking off into the darkness. "1 was not so concerned about picking up the land," he continued. "I'm not quite sure just when I sighted land. I am all mixed up at present about the times. I think it was about 4.45 when I picked up land at Cape Farewell, just where I expected to do so. Good navigation, did you say? Oh, I don't know. Where did I learn it? I just sort of picked it up. "I'm afraid I'm in a tearing hurry," he concluded. "I am flying on straight away to Wigram."