STORY OF FLIGHT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 122, 26 May 1930, Page 9

STORY OF FLIGHT

PEELLOUS ADVENTURE

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

(Beeeivi'd 26th May, 9 a.m.)

DARWIN, This Day

Telling in ..brief the story of her flight, Miss Johnson said that leaving England she admitted feeling a bit scared over crossing the Channel. She left Croydon wif&t a good following wind in a heavy iog, which suddenly lifted. She saw .a small stream of water and land on '.the other side. She thought at first sho\had turned around in the fog and was Returning to Croydon. After five minutes she realised she had crossed the without realising it. Later on she made a -.forced landing in the desert in fearful sand. It was the worst experience of tk c flight. She lost all control of the 'pla\ie. A hurricane tossed the 'plane al'out like a shuttlecock. She was dressed in warm clothing, and the heat was insufferable. Her sole thoughts ware of her mother worrying and regrets at taking on the flight against all advic*--BATTLING THROUGH TKCXPICS. Despite that, she made good progress on the flight all thb way to Ea ngoon. Then trouble started. After landing at the racecourse she toppled into a >ditch, breaking the propeller and wing. This caused three days' delay. A forced landing had to bo made near Baujk to remedy defects and to procure a new propeller, which was obtained frovoi Singapore. Heavy adverse winds averaging forty miles an hour, with the south-east monsoon, then held her-back. She could not reach Surabaya, and she was forced down short of fuel 180 miles from Batavia. Leaving Samarang, Miss Johnson took a short cut over the Java Sea. Heavy squalls and tropic rains beat the 'plane down so much that she sometimes was only gliding a few feet above the waves, and expecting every minute to hit the water. On one such occasion she was surrounded by rainbows, producing such a weird effect that she almost lost her nerve, it seemed so supernatural. Everything was black with sheets of rain. She could see nothing. She was surrounded by an intense rainbow, and everything was ethereal, almost supernatural. At one time she thought she was dead or dreaming. Then she saw a light spot and steered for it and got out of the storm. Land then' came into view, and she stuck to it. . ■ THE LANDING IN TIMOK. When attempting to reach Atamboea in one hop from Surabaya, Miss Johnson says that darkness overtook her and she was forced by lack of petrol to land at Dafa Hulala, sixteen miles from Atamboea, in a field full of horses and cattle. On landing she found herself surrounded by natives clothed in loin cloths with murderous knives and swords. A native chief caught her by the arm and led her away. Though sho was scared, she thought it better to submit. The only word she understood was "Pastor," and after travelling two miles they camo to a church. The pastor was a priest who fixed things up for her, so that she was able to return to her 'plane and fly to Atamboea and complete the trip. ' : THE LAST HOP. The flight to Darwin was without incident. She passed over the oil tanker Phorus midway. Sighting Melville Island, she stood up and cheered herself and threw overboard a pneumatic pillow. ■ Miss Johnson could hardly realise that her object was achieved. Alternately she cried and Jaughed till she picked up Point Charles lighthouse and turned for Darwin. The reception here was beyond her wildest imaginings. She intends to return to England in September and take a position . on the "Daily Mail," London, at a salary of £10,000 for a seven months' agreement, as aeronautical correspondent and lecturer. "I'M HERE, ANYHOW.'' Miss-Johnson leaves to-day (Monday) for Alexandria, Cloneurry,' and Brisbane. She will arrive at Brisbane- oji Wednesday. Upon her arrivel in Sydnoy she intends to visit the office of the newspaper which classed her inten-' tion to fly to Australia as girl's bombast, to ask for the writer of the article and say, "I'm here, anyhow." When she realised she could not equal Hinkler's record, winch sho set out to lower, she became despondent and inclined to abandon the trip, but Siam residents tried to cheer her up and told her that with long hops sho could catch up. Others advised her. to take it easy, while others, including Squadron-Leader Cave-Brown-Cavo,' at Singapore, advised her to abandon the attempt, as it was. hopeless to contend against monsoons. From England to Calcutta it was ideal flying. From Rangoon to Australia it was like a hideous dream, a series of nerve-racking experiences and marvellous escapes. At Surabaya she found she had been flying since Bangoon with a broken, spar and also a broken speedometer.