SURPRISE TRIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 67, 21 March 1938, Page 9

SURPRISE TRIP.

SYDNEY-N.Z. HOP. MR. CLOUSTON'S STORY. * NOTHING MARVELLOUS." Surprise was caused in Sydney when it was learned that Flying-Officer Clouston and his companion had decided to revert to the original intention to come on to New Zealand. It was not, in fact, until the New Zealand flyer had received advice from the Air Ministry in London late on Saturday night that he was able to make any definite arrangements for the completion of hie original scheme. About 20 people only, expecting him to make for Darwin, gathered at Kingsford Smith aerodrome, Mascot, yesterday at 9.30 a.m. New Zealand time. It was evident when he turned eaut instead of north that he was going to New Zealand and not to Darwin. He was actually well on the way from Sydney when it became known in the Dominion that the flight was in progress. The news quickly spread, however, and about 3000 people gathered at the Marlborough aerodrome early yesterday afternoon to give him a welcome. They gave the Comet an enthusiastic reception as it came down to a perfect landing. Difficulty, indeed, was experienced by a cordon of police and others, in preventing the people from surging forward and mobbing the airmen. Delayed by Weather. The landing was made at 4.40 p.m., an hour later than was expected. Adverse conditions over the Tasman had caused the delay. Landfall was made by Flying-Officer Clouston at Mount Egmont, and the Comet came straight down the coast and through Cook Strait, states a Press Association message from Blenheim. The rate at which the machine apparently increased in size after being first sighted indicated its great speed, and ,as it swept past the excited crowd, its ultra-streamlining and pace made it look like a greywinged bullet. When the machine came to a standstill on the ground, Mr. Clouston opened the roof of the cockpit and waved a cheery greeting, and then taxied to the hangar, where the Comet was safely accommodated under the watchful eyes of pickets. After undergoing medical and Customs examinations, the flyers were escorted to a temporary dais where a formal welcome was extended by the Mayor of Blenheim, Mr. J. Stevenson, the president of the Marlborough Aero Club, Mr. A. A. McNab, and the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, who had come specially from Kaikoura to represent the Government. Each of the speakers congratulated the airmen on their achievements, and the pride of the club to welcome one of its first trained pupils on such an eventful occasion was expressed by Mr. McNab.

When the formalities of the arrival had been completed, Mr. Clouston had a long-looked-for talk with his own people, and the principal topic of conversation was where he would spend tbe night. Cook Strait Airways had generously offered to place an airliner at the disposal of the Clouston family to fly them -home. Notwithstanding what he had already been through, Mr. Cloueton was quite ready to undertake the trip and to return to Blenheim in the morning for the take-off. However, Mr. Clouston, sen., inquired what sleep he bad had. "We haa a good sleep at Sydney hist night," replied the aviator. "We were five hour! in bed." That settled the question. The flier's mother promptly decided that her son should not undergo further strain, and a decision was made to spend the night at a hotel at Blenheim, enabling Mr. Clouston to devote time in tbe morning to a check-up on the machine, besides giving him the previous few hours alone with hie people. Aviators im Cheerful Mood. When they replied to the welcome both the airmen were in a cheerful mood, and made light of their accomplishment. Mr. Clouston expressed his pleasure at being in Blenheim and bis appreciation of the welewne.

nf J"** *** *° be * t the r « CGrd wi i A - Scott and the late Campbell »Ia £, W l ng to stron - head winds f*£. T f* u 7 filthy weather w e were well behind time at Darwin, and so we had tour hours' sleep before proceeding to Sydney." . °

With Blenheim counting as the capital he added smilingly, they had broken the record froiu England to New Zealand and hoped to break others before they reached Home again. Mr. Cloueton «aid they had experienced a lot of low cloud and some hail over the Tasinan. He described the flight as •nothing marvellous," declaring a thousand pilots in the Air Force and many in New Zealand eouW have done exactly the same, but it was just that they had a lucky machine and had eome along smoothly. He paid a tribute to hie first instructor, Squadron-Leader N.-L. Chandler, who had taught him to fly with the Marlborough Aero Club—"and a very bad pupil I wae, too," he added. It was such men as Mr. Chandler and "poor old Smithy" who did the real work for aviation. Mr. Clouston concluded by invitin« Mr. Bick«tts to tell the rest of the story, after describing how hie very efficient co-pilot had divided his spare time between tapping out stories on his typewriter and munching applee. Mr. Ricketts modestly contended that he was only a paeeenger on the trip. The "Big Shot." "He's the 'big ehot,'" he eaid, nodding towards his companion. "All the way across the world 'Clou.' has been saying he -wanted to get to New Zealand, and he was most unhappy when he thought we wouldn't be able to g«t across. This morning, when we left the Australian coaet, he nibbed hie hands together and said: 'This is the moment I've been waiting for for months.'" Mr. Rickette is a London journalist and writes the story of the flight as it progresses. Although neither Mr. Cloueton nor his companion had had more than ten hours' sleep since they left England, they looked remarkably fresh on landing. They made light of what would be a trying ordeal under any circumstances, but which was made doubly so on account of the bad hick in regard to weather. Mr. Cloueton looked a little tired about the eyes, but his general buoyancy of spirit was evidence of the stamina which has won for him in the Air Force the sobriquet of the "iron man."