ON THE AIR EXPRESS

Evening Star, Issue 17792, 14 October 1921, Page 6

ON THE AIR EXPRESS

MELBOURNE MAN’S STORY, A Melbourne man who has just returned from a visit to London had. an. experience, in travel (says tho ‘Argus’) which may bo commonplace enough now, hut which to a past generation would have seemed like a revival of the ago of miracles. Ho breakfasted in London, had lunch in Dari?, and returned to his hotel in London in time for afternoon tca> Ho had taken the aerial express for making the journey. Tho (light was made in a fine, twinengined biplane that had accommodation for twelve passengers in tho enclosed cabin. Except that the wicker arm chairs were rather close together, and that the cabin—or “saloon,” as perhaps it should bo called—was decidedly cold even on a midsummer day, the journov was as comfortable as it was speedy. Tho cold is explained by tho groat altitude, for the machine was always flying between 9,000 ft and 10,000 ft above tho earth. In crossing tho Channel they flew into a don-re, blade, swirling cloud, which was mckiing with lightning. They were, in fact, in'tho very heart of a thunderstorm. Tho rnadiino bumped and rolled most uncomfortably, for the air was full _of “ pockets.” Tho pilot made._ a quick dive of some hundreds of foot, with the intention of getting beneath tho storm, bnt could not got dear of it that way. He (hen soared 2,000 ft or so, presently the darkm-ss was replaced by twilight-, and a few minutes later, at the rate of 100 miles an hour, (hey were, in brilliant- sunshine under a. cloudless blue sky. The. passengers, looking through tho windows, could see the, storm raging beneath them. When they got to Paris - (hey asked tlx* pilot what he thought of tho business of llviim through thunder?terms. “Ob. it is nnl-liing,” said (he imperturbable Frenchman, shrugging his shoulders and lighting a- cigarette. “ It- is necessary ter ouo to'tako things as they come.” A few minutes late* the pilot climbed into another machine and headed it London ; or, to Ire more correct, he first made a spiral flight until lie had risen TOOOft, ami th.cn he headed the machine for .tendon. Tho Australian did not understand tho object of tho preliminary spiral, but says (his was the initial manreuvre botb. on leaving Croydon and Haris. It was particularly interesting, ho says, to watch the arrival urd of llin expresses. -Several of them were “ specie is. ’ Within an noiu ho sav. a “special for lictbn ” and a ‘ special f°i Moscow ” leave the aerodrome. The public take it- all as a. matter of course; but to" an Australian, ho said, the novelty was startling.