GIRL OF LEISURE

Evening Star, Issue 21904, 15 December 1934, Page 15

GIRL OF LEISURE

FLIGHT FROM ENGLAND NIGHT IN THE BUSH Looking quite unlike a young woman who had just flown across the globe, Miss Freda Thompson, the young Melbourne aviator, who arrived in Sydney on November 20, told the story of her flight in her room at the Hotel Australia, between slipping off her flying kit and putting on a cool green frock—the only one she had with her, and dabbing cream and powder on to her sunburnt face, Miss Thompson’s lady interviewer (representing the ’ Sydney Morning Herald ’) writes: She had only two worries—one was the sunburnt face. She had come right through the flight from England without burning her skin, which is the fair variety, but forgetful of the sun in her enjoyment at the aerial pageant at Coofamundra on Monday, the damage was done. Her second worry, which she said was a very considerable one, was’that she bad no hat. The last she remembers of the only one she had with her was that she put it down: at Charleville to sign an autograph book, and she forgot it. The loss, too, accounted for the sunburn,

Like most women flyers, Miss Thompson is of a small build," is particularly feminine, with waving golden-auburn hair that falls prettily about her face. Shhe has no serious intentions towards aviation, she confesses, but it is her favourite hobby. Another is girl guiding, and at her home in South Yarra she is a lieutenant of a company, and has a Brownie pack. The company, which includes a poor area, gives her opportunity for social service work. , Miss Thompson is _in the enviable position of having,.leisure and ! enough money to buy herself an aeroplane and finance this trip, 'which has always been her 1 ambition. Shespt put for England last April with her iriother, Mrs ■F. H. Thompson, and her sister, Claire, who is now at sthopr ; Brighton. She flew quite land. ■ : ■ ’ , , ,

“ My idca'-when I set out was to get here in as short a time as possible; 1 did not set put' with: the intention of trying to beat Miss Batten’s record; but, of course,' when it came to_ spending three weeks in Athens,” said Miss Thompson, with a laugh, “ I decided it was a splendid , way of seeing the ■world, and to take my time and enjoy myself. And I did that. “ There were times on the trip when I did feel lonely, but mostly; there was . plenty to , do keeping a watch out for places. Prom Calcutta to Rangoon I had the company of an Indian Airways machine. I only saw the pilot for the half-hour we stopped ■ at Akyab, and a couple of times during the trip, when he new close and waved to me; it wasn’t what you could call company, but- it felt rather nice to < know that someone else was in the air, top. The worst part of the trip was between Alor Star and Singapore. I wasn’t at all happy then, and had to fly .blind for two and a-half hours. I ■ simply fell on Singapore, I was so glad to get there. “ I’ve had some funny experiences—in fact, the whole trip was very funny,” Miss Thompson added. Some of the episodes which_ added a flavour of adventure to the trip were striking a private aerodrome in the Lorraine Valley, and being_ entertained by the owner and his wife, though neither qf them could speak English; being escorted by the friendly 1 mayor and a police guard to interview the Consul at Athens; meeting four of the air race entrants at Athens, one ' of them being Melrose; staying in a Persian home at Bushire; meeting John Drinkwater ,in Persia; crossing the Timor in double-quick time with a favourable wind, and arriving before the “ welcome” was ready ; and finally being stranded for twenty-four hours with, limited food and water at Tennant’s Creek in missing Newcastle Waters. The last predicament did not seem to alarm Miss Thompson at all. “ When I realised I had missed my way,” she said, “ and there was slight wing_ damage, I thought it was about time I came out of the air. I saw the clear-

ing, and landed. I wasn’t really wor-. tied, because I knew that my moveJ ments were being checked up, and B knew that some help would come. The, night offered no fears because there ’ i» nothing really fearsome, in the tralian bush. The following day was* frightfully hot, so I spent it in the shade of the wings, watching little birds in a bush in front of the aeroplane. When the constable found me' at 5 that evening, I was very relieved)’'' .“It’s a great pity,” said Miss, Thompson, reviewing her trip, “ that) school children can’t be taken up in! aeroplanes—it’s so much more instruo’ tive than geography books!”