AMY'S STORY.'

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 May 1930, Page 5

AMY'S STORY. '

FLIGHT AGAINST GREAT ODDS CROSSED ENGLISH CHANNEL WITHOUT REALISING IT. NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE OVER • ■ ; , t JAVA SEA. . A vivid account of the main features of her flight has been given • • to the Press at Darwin by Miss i Amy Johnson, the English girl who, single-handed, navigated the .. plane Jason’s Quest from England to Australia. . {By Telegraph-Prcsa Assn.-Copyright.) (Received This Day, 9.25 a..) ' DARWIN, This Day. On leaving England, Miss Amy Johnson admits, she felt a bit, scared over crossing the Channel. She left , Croydon with a good following wind, and in a heavy fog. This suddenly lifted and she saw a small stream ‘ with land on the other side,. and thought at first that she had turned around' in the fog and was returning , to Croydon. After five minutes she ascertained that she had crossed the Channel without realising it. A FORCED DESCENT IN DESERT. Referring to her forced landing, later an, in the desert on the way from Aleppo to Baghdad, Miss Johnson said that the sand whs fearful. It was the worst experience of her flight. She lost all control of the plane, which the hurricane tossed about like a shuttloj ■ cock. She was dressed in warm cloth- \ ing, and the heat was insufferable. Her sole thoughts were that, her mother Would be worrying, and she had re- ‘. grets ‘that she had taken on the flight against all advice. WONDERED IP SHE WAS DEAD. On leaving Samarang, Amy struck another fearful storm. Everything was’ black, with rain falling in sheets, and. . ' she ’ could see nothing. She was surrounded by an intense rainbow, and f everything was ethereal and almost ‘ supernatural. At one time she thought ■ she* was dead or dreaming. L'. ' LANDING AMONG ARMED : , NATIVES. On leaving -Sourabaya (Java) Miss Johnson was forced by lack of petrol 1 , to land at Dara Hulala 16 miles from Atamboea (Timor),'in a field full of horses and cattle. On landing she v found herself surirbunded ,by natives ■dressed in loin, cloths arid carrying murderous knives and swords. ■ A native chief caught her by the arm-and led her away; * Though seared, she * thought it better to submit, and, walking two miles, she arrived at ft church. EMOTIONS RELIEVED WHEN k ' GOAL IS IN SIGHT. The flight to Drwin was without incident. She passed the oil-tanker ; Fhorus midway. On sighting Melville Island she stood up and cheered)' and threw overboard a pneumatic pillow. , "She could hardly realise that her object had been achieved, and she alternatively laughed and cried till she picked up Point Charles lightjiouse and turned for Darwin. Her reception here was beyond her wildest imaginings. A £IO,OOO ENGAGEMENT. r Miss Jcjhnson intends to return to ■England in September and take a posi- , tion with the Daily Mail, London, at * a salary of £IO,OOO for a seven months’ agreement as aeronautical correspon- , -dent and lecturer. LEAVING FOB BRISBANE TO-DAI. Amy leaves to-day for Alexandra Downs (N.T.) Oloncurry (North-west , -Queensland) and Brisbane. She expects to arrive at Brisbane op Wedt , nesday. RIGHT AFTER A JOURNALIST. Upon her arrival at Sydney, the o. Aviatrix intends to visit the newspaper # .office which classed her intention to. ■ fly to Australia as “A girl’s bombast,” .•and to ask for the writer of the article j .and say “I'm here, anyhow.” DESPONDENCY OVERCOME. ; When Miss Johnson realised that . ahe could not equal Hinkler’s record, « rwhich she3ad set out to lower, she became despondent and was inclined “to abandon the trip, but Siam resi-~-dents ■ tried to cheer her up and told ± - ier that by long hops she could catch f: up.- Others advised her. to take it ; h ' -easy,. whilo some, including Group- > •Csptam-Cave-Brown-Cave, advised her Y to abandon the flight, as it was hope.less to contend against the moonsoons. EASTERN FLYING CONDITIONS TERRIBLE. jl r " Prom England to Calcutta was ideal 1 •flying but from Rangoon to Australia was like a hideous dream —a series of rnerve-racking experiences and marvellous escapes. At Sourabaya, Miss Johnson found that she had been flyksr.'lug since leaving Rangoon 'with a 1 1 ;brokon spar, 1 also a broken speedo'meter. I CONGRATULATIONS OF NEW ZEALAND. | ; t- - ' * ‘INTREPID COURAGE AND [. SKILL.” V‘ , k YEt Telegraph—Press Association.) I WELLINGTON, This Day. ie -following message: has been telexed to Miss Amy Johnson to-day:— e Government and people of New ind desire to express their hearty ratulations on the successful aeilishment of your solo aerial flight England,- to. Australia, and also admiration 6f your intrepid eourand .skill this latest outstand-?eaf‘-of aviation,- —(signed) Joseph om inquiries to-day it ia learned no steps have been, taken to inMijga Johnson to visit Ne'w 2!ea-