FLYING BLIND

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 134, 4 December 1930, Page 8

FLYING BLIND

DIFFICULT AIR PASSAGE

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, This Day. To fly blind over unknown country for over an hour was the experience of the Rev. C. G. Serimgeour, one of the pilots who took part in the. Auckland Aero Club's cross country flight to Te Aroha. Five machines left Auckland to participate in the air pageant at Te Aroha, but on the journey from Auckland Mr. Scriingeour lost the remainder of the party when the formation entered heavy clouds, and it was not until two hours later, when ho returned to the club's aerodrome, that his whereabouts was known. Mr. Scrimgeour stated yesterday that he was flying the only machine which was not equipped with a compass. He was on the left of the leading 'plane, which entered a heavy bank of clouds near Bombay. He lost touch with the other machines, and climbed above the clouds. As t^o clouds were so heavy that he was not able to see the wing tips, he flew low until he saw the Bombay hills below him. When he began to climb again, Mr. Scrimgeour soon found that he was flying blind. ' For 20 minutes he was uuablo to see anything beyond his machine, even the position of the sun being obscured. Without a compass, he had no sense of direction, while the absence of any horizon added to his difficulties. la the middle of a cloud bank a heavy storm of sleet fell, making it necessary for him to remove Ms goggles to see the instruments on his dash board. The goggles were damaged slightly, with the result that he was forced to fly for the rest of the time without them. The conditions were very bad, and the machine bumped badly, and was difficult to control, falling into steep dives. When Mr. Scrimgeour corrected these he was frequently caught in other air currents, and at times the nose of the machine was thrown up until the engine almost stalled. After spending 20 minutes in clouds, Mr. Scrimgeour rose to 6000 feet, bat then he. was unable to pick up any landmark, all that he could see beneath him being a sea of cloud extending for miles in every direction. "It was the worst sensation of loneliness I have ever experienced," he said. "My only comfort was that the engine was ticking over steadily and I had no doubt it would keep on as long as I had petrol." The first landmark Mr. Scrimgeour recognised was the new St. Stephen's College at Bombay. By following the Great South road he was able to return to the aerodrome, which he reached two hours after he had left it. He then had only a small quantity of petrol.