MACLAREN HOME.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 November 1924, Page 14

MACLAREN HOME.

EXPERIENCES ON WORLD FLIGHT

(London Times Special Correspondent.)

Squadron-Leader MacLaren, Flying Officer Plenderleith, and Sergeant Andrews arrived at Liverpool towards tlie end of September from Canada by the Canadian Pacific liner Montelare, after six months’ absence. All three were bronzed and well. Mrs. MacLaren met her husband on board the Montelare and travelled with him to London.

I obtained from Squadron-Leader MacLaren the following statement on his attempted world flight: “The effort was on my part a joy ride pure and simple, and should be regarded in no other way. It was begun just as one might take a motor ride, and from my standpoint as a flying officer was just a ‘busman’s holiday.’ I had no help from the Government. The thing was unofficial in every way. It was my idea of a holiday, ancl I would have taken Mrs. MacLaren with me if it had not been for the fact that it was attempting something slightly more dangerous than, the normal in some respects. With the Vickers-Napier Vulture amphibian I have no fault to find. The machines I used flew magnificently all the time except for the first two breakdowns. and I would choose another Vickers’ Vulture machine without question if I was going to attempt the thing again. “As to the route we selected, I consider there is no other possible route for a round-the-world flight, and I should follow it again if attempt were repeated. Aiiy other crossing of the Pacific involves at least 2500 miles of open sea to Honolulu, and the risks of traversing such a distance without the possibility of landing are too great. An all-British route is impossible. One could not pick one’s way across the Pacific, landing at places within the Empire, without having to cross even wider spaces of ocean.’’ v I asked Squadron-Leader MacLaren whether, in view of the result of the two efforts, he considered that the Americans had made the better choice in selecting the westward instead of the eastward course round the world. He replied: .“From the navigation point of view I. think experience has shown that the western direction is the better, bub I still hold that, in regard to winds and weather, the eastward course is the better, and at present I see no decisive reason, if another attempt were made, for altering, in this respect, the .course that I followed.”

Squadron-Leader MacLaren, speaking of his companions, said: “Plenderleith ancl Andrews were extremely efficient the whole way through. I could have had no better companions ancl helpers. They are just as disappointed as I am that the thing did not come off.” 11l response to a remark about the persistent ill-luck which attended his efforts, h e said: “Naturally I wanted to finish the game I was playing, but I was held up bv nothing whatever except fog. People in this country have no. idea what a fog in the Bering Sea is like. It is so thick that you cannot see any distance into it at all, and when you are in it you find that the water is streaming into your eyes, and it is impossible to wear goggles, and, without the goggles, you also cannot see. It may sound a small obstacle, blit it is fatal to a flying machine. I have seen the smoke and masts of a ship above the fog and the hull has been absolutely invisible. “It was the fog brought us down, and it was the state of the sea and its effects upon the machine—it was thip _ and this alone, occurring where it did that put an encl to the flight. Anywhere else almost we might have expected to get to shore and wait for repairs, as we had clone before. “TV hat happened was that we were steering for the island of Nikolski, in the Komandorski Islands, off the coast of Kamchatka, and that we narrowly pscaped colliding in the fog with the cliffs of that island. I don’t think we were 50ft. off when we first saw them, ancl in the fog an instant.choice had to be made between, trying to land on the island and coming down on the /water. I decided for the water, and the water was so rough that immediately the machine touched the surface the wing tins were smashed and we oouhl not go on. All we could do was to taxi about until we could effect a landing. It happened at 10.55 in the forenoon. There was a small Russian settlement on the island and they received us very well. The island is under the control of the Soviet Government. The islanders had a wireless station, and they let us use it to try to pick up the Thiepval, which we knew was somewhere about looking for us, and we were fortunately able to get in touch with her without delay. The vessel picked" us up very soon afterwards. Sbp also took on hoard the machine, wliich I wa s able to land in Canada, and it is coming home, though it was not with us on the Montelare. The hull is undamaged,, and I feel sure the engine is all right and will be workable.”

Referring again to the final accident he said: “If the sea had kept as it was two hours before we came down we should not have had the mishap with the wing tips and could have continued the flight as soon as we could see the way. We attribute our stoppage to fog solely and entirely, and the abandonment "of the flight to the damage that was done by "the heavy seas as we drifted and the fact that such damage was irreparable at that spot. • We were only about sft. above the water and in flight when we perceived the cliffs of the island, and had to choose between running into it and coming down on the water. I thought the least risk W’as in coming down on the water, but I have told you what happened. But for the breaking of the wing tips we made an excellent landing. There was no getting over the disaster, as the place was so out of the way. If there had been any facilities I could have repaired the machine, but I had no spare wings. I should have had to send to Canada to get them, and there was no possibility of doing that.”