LANDING AFTER DARK

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 23 April 1935, Page 6

LANDING AFTER DARK

’PLANE LOST IN RAINCLOUDS YOUNG AVIATOR’S ADVENT URL

Lost in darkness and clouds over New Plymouth at nightfall yesterday, a young [Hamilton aviator, Mr J. Malcolm, was, with the aid of flares, finally able to land at the New Plymouth airport shortly after 6 o’clock last night. Both Mr Malcolm and a passenger, Miss M. Donnelly, New Plymouth, took the adventure calmly, but admitted that the situation was critical for a time.

The pair left Wanganui in ZK-AAT and as the weather there was fine with no sign of heavy cloud or rain they did not telephone New Plymouth airport for a weather report or with information of when they expected to arrive.

At Stratford, however, the machine ran into heavy rainclouds at 3000 feet and Mr Malcolm had some difficulty keeping his course. He descended to 1000 feet, but visibility was bad and rough air conditions further delayed progress. In gathering darkness the pilot realised that the situation was becoming serious and circled looking for landmarks. After some minutes of fruitless quest he picked up the lights of New Plymouth. He circled low over the town for bearings and picked up the general direction of the aerodrome by the headlights of cars travelling on the main road, and the contour of the coast.

It was now so dark in the clouds that the pilot could not see his compass. The drone of the plane’s motor attracted the attention of a number of people in the town, who telephoned the aerodrome.

The staff immediately rigged the searchlight and sent up flares which were seen by Mr Malcolm as he was flying up the coast. He turned inland and landecl smoothly to T flares rigged on the field. Mr Malcolm has had his endorsed license only six months. “I had my first night flying instruction from Mr Keith the other night,” he said, “and if it had not been for that I would not have had the faintest idea of what to do.’i