AN ADVENTUROUS FLIGHT

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23319, 3 May 1941, Page 3

AN ADVENTUROUS FLIGHT

DAMAGED AEROPISi# crosses Atlantic EXPERIENCE OF CANADIAN PILOTS RUGBY, May. 1. ■ .A remarkable feat of flying is. revealed in the adventurous voyage :of Lieutenant' J. G. Fleming,' D.F.C.,and Flying Officer J. J. two Canawho joined the Royal Air Force, in bringing one of, the famous Catalina P-B.YT flying-boats l from Bermuda to Britain; ■ nV;? ■ ;.■■■’>, „i The Catalina, carried a crew'of six, comprising ttyo : pilots, two flight engineers lent by the Fleet, Air Arm, and two radio operators, who were Canadian civilians, The. journey started id. perfect weather, Suddenly, when flying at a height qf 18,500. feet > the automatic pilot jammed. At this ‘ critical moment the right starboard aileron was full down and the effect'was to throw the machine into a spiral dive. Immediately the' ailerons began to flutter because of' the steep angle at which .they were meeting the flow qf air. The machine spun from* 18,500 feet to only 800 aboye'sea-'level. During' this staggering dive, the pilots -did - their- utmost to regain Stability.’ The" pressure ‘on the ailerons, bqwever* dqe to the high speed, was so great.that one of them broke away completely This was the worst morihent for thfi pilots. .When the second aileron also broke .away they found it helped to restore the balance of the ship. When the flutter started Lieutenant Fleming told the radio operators to send an SOS message. This, however, was not received because, as it subsequently turned out. the fixed wireless aerial had been carried away with the aileron. The plight of Lieutenant Fleming and his heroic crew seemed desperate. In their efforts to regain control, they found It necessary to jettison flares, spare parts, and their tool kit. Just when everyone believed ’the Catalina must hit the water the pilots recovered control. Although they were six hours’ distant from home, the captain was confident of his ability now to reach the coast and he refused to send out another SOS. Instead, from the trailing aerial, he simply signalled “both ailerons gone.’' The signal was received, but no one believed it. -It seemed impossible that a great machine like the Catalina, weighing about 15 tons, could still be flying without any lateral control. A Difficult Task The machine was now flying due south to remain airborne. Without lateral control it is necessary to keep going straight ahead, as the use of the rudder without ailerons Is liable to put the machine into a fatal flat spin. Lieutenant Fleming and Flying Officer Meikle were compelled to sit side by sjde exerting all their, strength on the controls to keep the machine in the air.. They dared not remove their hands to look at a map. Fortunately, Lieutenant Fleming had memorised his course, and with Flying Officer Meikle’s. aid he managed to turn the machine very gently until it was'on its correct course again. To add to their troubles, as they approached' the British coast, they flew, into a storm. .In spite of this, however, they succeeded in safely landing on the water in a British harbour, but they had still some miles to faki and the sea was rough. Feeling that taxi-ing on the waves would make themselves and the rest of the crew seasick, the pilots actually took off again and flew, skimming just above the surface, three miles nearer to their moorings. Since this flight, Lieutenant Fleming has flown the Atlantic once again and Flying Officer Meikle twice.