“GLORIOUS SECOND’’

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 25 October 1934, Page 5

“GLORIOUS SECOND’’

ARRIVAL OF DUTCHMEN 5 ROSCO TURNER IN THIRD PLACE CAUSE OF ALBURY MISHAP ] MELBOURNE, Oct. 24. < Parmentier landed at Melbourne at 10.45 a.m. (local time). At 1.35 p.m Turner brought the big Boeing into Flemington lor third place, just af- 8 ter Cathcart-Jones and Waller had o reached Darwin. J Though second in the speed race, I Parmentier by leaving his passengers and extra pilots at Albury prejudiced c his chances of winning the handicap t event, weight forfeited being regard- t ed as if it had not been carried at i , all. ■y At Charleville Parmentier’s ’plane, e ' one of the largest and most luxurious n seen in Australia, was sighted short- b ly after 6 p.m. The control officer r fired a red rocket warning Parmentier I not to land until sufficient flares were t in position. Consequently Parmentier was compelled to circle overhead until c 6.50, when lie made a perfect land- 1 ing. Parmentier was much annoyed at a being kept in the air. He said he \ knew the. aerodrome well, and it was t quite light enough to land earlier. a The German lady journalist, Fraulein Rasche, who is a. passenger, t alighted fresh and dainty and in excel- i lent health and spirits. 1 The entire crew of the Dutch ’planci € praised Scott’s achievement. They said 1 their trip from Darwin was done at' l 16,000 feet owing to head winds. Par- < mentier left. shortly after and expect- 1 ed to reach Melbourne at midnight. Another large crowd witnessed the 1 Dutchmen’s arrival at Flemington. The giant, gleaming monoplane flashed ] out of the sky, swooped down across ] the line, and swept on towards Laver- * ton. When the airmen landed the • Netherlands Consul immediately in- ‘ formed them that Queen Wilhelmina had conferred knighthoods upon them. The pilots in their spick and span uniforms, fresh and smiling in strange ' contrast to the weary Scott and Black, looked as if they had stepped from a luxury train. The Consul described the result'as “a glorious second.” . Parmentier was immediately called to the telephone, where he spoke in Dutch to Holland, describing the flight and the reception. When interviewed he said the main cause of the mishap at Albury was the l formation of ice on the wings of the ’plane at an altitude of 12,000 feet. The wireless was also affected by the storm. Albury was the only anxious moment in a wonderful trip, in which j everybody helped marvellously. i " Handicapped by engine trouble Tur- - ner made a great effort to beat the |' Dutch into second place. He wn s deg-j ged by relentless mistfortune. | Both he and Pangbom were obvi- j ously fatigued when they arrived. Tur- j ner * thanked the waiting crowd and j said he was glad the flight was over. j As the machine took its place in the j hangar alongside those of Scott and j Parmentier, the airmen were welcom- l ed by the consul. i Turner, interviewed, said : “Scott’s flight was a marvellous one but anyone who makes a dash through as lie did can have it on his own. No more for me.” Turner had trouble with the oil pres- ! sure prior to arriving at Charleville, j and minor adjustments were made | fore lie resumed the flight. i Turner, interviewed at Charleville, 1 described Scott’s flight as the greatest effort put up in the race and said ( ho offered his congratulations to the ' man who undoubtedly deserved the victory. Turner’s energy at Charleville was amazing. He did the bulk of the hard labour on his engines and pushed, , pulled, lifted, screwed, banged and i hammered as hard as if he had just arisen from a good night’s sleep. After hearing that the Dutchmen had been forced down a't Albury he hastened his engine overhaul and took off as quickly as possible, “to see whether these jolly old Dutchmen were still on the ground.” Parmentier’s passengers, on their arrival at Melbourne by train, expressed admiration for the pilots. They did not consider the enterprise at all hazardous, and they slept peacefully each night in the air.