WORLD FLIGHT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 July 1924, Page 5

WORLD FLIGHT

MACLAREN SAFE. A THRILLING STORY. ■iY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT TOKIO, July 18. Squadron-Leader Stuart MacLare n, the British aviator who was reported missing during his round-the-world flight, has been found. All hone hadbeen abandoned in Tokio. MacLaren, who left Calshot, near Southampton, on March 25, has with him as crew Flying-Officer W. N. Blinder lei th 1 , Navigation-Sergeant Andrew, and an engineer. 111-luck has dogged the flight. Disaster was nearly met with at the outset, when the ’plane narrowly escaped crashing into cliffs in a fog when forced to descend at Havre. From Havre the machine flew to Lyons, and then proceeded to Rome, where MacLaren was welcomed by representatives of the Italian Air Force. He was delayed l two days at Rome by a damaged float, and left on March 30 for Athens, having decided to leave Brindisi out of the list of stops, though it was originally intended that he should land there. Near Brindisi he encountered filthy weather, and as he passed over Kardiki Point there was a sudden, violent vibration of the engine - he planed down, and was lucky to have Lake St. Mathew, in the island of Corfu, to land on, as the sea was too rough to permit a safe landing. After landing MacLaren walked 10 miles to the nearest village, where he procured provisions. All the crew slept in the machine that night. A new engine was sent out "from England, hut further troubles developed when the flight was resumed. The delays from engine trouble have mystified the British experts, and, as feared, MacLaren at the end of last month was caught by a monsoon in his journey over Burma, and on arriving at Rangoon after four forced landings, found that all hope of his arrival had been abandoned.

MacLaren told a thrilling story of his adventures, which included being hemmed in by clouded mountains and flying 10 feet over a jungle. They wandered about for half an hour under the clouds. The land was entirely blotted out, and they steered by the compass a course toward Vinh (a seaport of Annam, French Indo-China), and chanced to luck. little experience took about 10 years off our lives,” .said Squadron-Leader MacLaren in a special dispatch. “We ivere never so frightened before. While we were over the jungle we saw large herds of elephants and buffaloes, and any amount of deer.” A WORLD RECORD. PARIS, .Julv 18. The aviators C'oupet and Droohin, flying; a Farman Goliath machine, have established a world’s record duration flight. They remained in the air for thirty-eight hours and averaged 64 miles an. hour.