NEW ZEALANDERS RETURN

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21320, 13 November 1934, Page 12

NEW ZEALANDERS RETURN

COMPETITORS IN AIR RACE HEARTY WELCOME GIVEN RECORD TRIP TO MELBOURNE DESCRIBED [THE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, November 12. Among the large number of paslengers who arrived at Wellington by the Monowai from Sydney today, none received a more hearty welcome than Mr M. C. McGregor and Mr H. C. Walker, who narrowly missed flying into third place in the handicap section of the Centenary air race in a light aeroplane nominated by the Manawatu Aero Club. Four aeroplanes from the club flew to Wellington from Palmertson North to-day, and before landing continued about five miles out to sea to greet the steamer, over which one of the pilots, Mr L. McGaffln, dropped a bouquet. On the wharf there were many friends of the aviators, including the Director of Air Services (Squadron Leader T. M. Wilkes), and immediately the public was allowed to board the ship the airmen's cabin was crowded with persons eager to offer their congratulations, amongst them being the president of the Manawatu Aero Club (Mr H. E. Edmunds) and the pilots and passengers of the machines from Palmerston North. Colonel A. Cowles, chairman of the executive of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association, and Mr A. E. Gorton, assist-ant-secretary of the New Zealand Keturned Soldiers' Association, also welcomed the airmen at the ship. In an interview with newspaper representatives, Mr McGregor and Mr Walker did not maintain the reputation for silence which their brief speeches at official receptions have gained for them, and they described the journey in which they broke the England to Darwin record for a single-engine aeroplane, although in the matter-of-fact manner typical of men whose attention during an .adventure has been concentrated on the task in hand.

Remarking that they were third last to leave Mildenhall, Mr McGregor said they struck rough weather over France, where many of the competitors fell out. They flew under the clouds and just above the trees, but later climbed to 10,000 feet above the clouds, where they found good conditions, and were guided by their compass to Marseilles. There they were surprised to find that the Douglas aeroplane was the only one in front. It had to be remembered, though, that the speed machines were taking a different course.

Flight Through Darkness Borne was reached just before dark; but they decided to push on. Twenty minutes later night fell, and they passed over Greece to land at Athens in the dark. Cyprus, the next stop after Athens, was not a checking point and such stops were a handicap. At Aleppo they saw Woods and his overturned Lockheed. Two hours were spent in Bagdad, and they passed on to Bushire, Jask, Karachi, Jodhpur, and Allahabad. At Allahabad they saw the Mollisons' machine on the ground, but not the Mollisons themselves. "Of course we were in a bit of a hurry," remarked Mr McGregor. The Pander also was at Allahabad. Calcutta they reached in less than three days, which, Mr McGregor commented, was a record—in fact, he did not think that previous to that the trip to Karachi had been done in three days. The engine had been performing well; but the cowling (equivalent to the bonnet of a car) was giving a little trouble. From Calcutta they went to Rangoon, striking most of the landing places in the dark. At Rangoon the natives were having a "festival of lights" for which they had many lanterns alight, and the airmen found balloons 2000 feet up. Because of their limited range, they had to go to another non-checking point, Victoria Point, from Rangoon and then to Alor Star, where they got bogged "like everybody else." However, air force men helped them out, the lightness of the machine being an advantage in this instance.

Heavy Tropical Rain On the flight from Alor Star to Singapore, heavy tropical rain was encountered. Mr Walker said that • although their machine had cockpits without any covering above the occupants, they did not get wet from rain unless it r as exceptionally heavy. In the tropics they flew at an altitude of from 8000 to 10,000 feet to keep cool; but coming down from 3000 feet it was "like going through a furnace." They left Singapore just before dark for Batavia, which was another sea-hop, continued Mr Walker, and here, as throughout the flight, they found lighthouses very useful for keeping them on their course, which was important in the absence of wireless. Knowing the characteristics of the lights, they were able to identify them as mariners do. After leaving Batavia at 4 a.m. next day for Rambang, they ran a little short of petrol and landed at Sourabaya, another non-checking point Refuelling, they continued to Bambang, but made only a short stop, and arrived at Koepang late in the afternoon. The airmen left Koepang about 3 a.m., and crossed the Timor Sea in the dark, seeing the lights of H.M.A.S. Moresby on the way, and landed at Darwin "n the early morning right on their course. At no time since leaving Mildenhall had they got off their course, their greatest difficulty being tne finding of the aerodromes in the dark. When asked which was the most w i? p^F t , of their flight, Mr walker replied that he had yet to 1 if j ®bout that. Conditions were not I ; bad. and so they pushed on after a I short stop, for Newcastle Waters,

but ran into thick red dust. On this section it was necessary to follow tracks on the ground in the absence of land-marks; but even as low as 200 feet their view of the ground was so bad that they could not find their bearings, and had to land at Brunette Downs. Unfortunately they had to spend a night there and it was not a checking point, so that time counted against them. Next morning they continued to Cloncurry and Charleville, for which conditions were good. At Narromine, where they landed in the dark, they had quite a reception, for they were the first competitors in the race to call there. At 4 a.m. next day they set out for Melbourne, where they landed four hours later, quite fit and fresh. "Staying the night at Brunette Downs counted us out of the prize money," said Mr Walker. They were most tired the first night out, but after that they felt better and better at each stopping place. They were able to find out how those competitors in front of them were progressing, but news of the ones following was difficult to obtain and unreliable. The organisation of the race was good.

Free Passage Home The airmen expressed thanks to the Union Steam Ship Company for granting them a free passage home and bringing their aeroplane to New Zealand without charge. They will make their first public appearance at Palmerston North oh Wednesday, commencing a tour of the Dominion, and will be in Wellington again about a fortnight hence. "McGregor and Walker were very popular indeeu in Melbourne," commented Mr N. C. Chandler, instructor for the Marlborough Aero Club, who, with Flight Lieutenant M. W. Buckley, R.N.Z.A.F., and Mr B. D. Armstrong, were in Melbourne when the air race finished, and accompanied the New Zealand representatives back in the Monowai. "McGregor went right into the hearts of the Australians straight away. They liked his style. Hewett and Kay also were given a very good reception, and New Zealanders living in Melbourne spread themselves particularly to entertain them all."