CAIRO TO THE CAPE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17427, 24 March 1920, Page 7

CAIRO TO THE CAPE.

AIR PIONEERS' ADVENTURES. ATMOSPHERIC VAGARIES. Renter. CAPETOWN. March 22. „ The official log of Colonel Van %*<>- veWs flight from Cairo to the Cape shows a-total flying time of 1094 hours. He left Cairo on February 10/ but a radiator leak obliged him to make a forced landing in the dark, irreparably damaging his machine. The engines were intact, so they were conveyed to Cairo and refitted in a new machine, ,and the flight resumed on February 22 for Khartoum. Here he discovered leaks in the water jacket, necessitating a change of cylinders. On the stage, from Khartoum to MongaUa, in Southern. Soudan, he encountered the most extraordinary experience of the.trip. At one time he lost height to the extent off* about 1500 feet in little more .than a minute. On another occasion he had a like drop of 2000 feet, which he attributed to passing alternately over large patches of burnt and unburnt grass in the country. Flying across Uganda he encountered " dust devils," some of which rose as high as 8000 feet. He was forced to land at Shirati through engine troubles due to climatic conditions. After leaving Abercorn. which is 3500 feet above the sea level, he discarded everything dispensable in order to rise easily. He had an anxious tims en route to Ndola, owing' to interruption of the petrol supply. The machine gradually lost height, and flying over the dense African bush,- matters looked black, but owing to loss of weight through consumption of petrol a level course was maintained to Ndola, and Bulawayo was eventually reached. Leaving Bulawayo on March 5, the machine failed to rise in a dead patch of air, and was completely wrecked.

The Union aeroplane Voor Trekker was sent to Briawayo, and the airmen resumed .heir flight to Capetown, encountering en. msfce a thunderstorm, which badly chip-

ped the propeller and completely tore off the binding. The propeller was replaced, and the journey completed.

The. South African Government has awarded a prize of asoOOO to be divided between Colonel Van Byneveld and Captain Brand.

"TIMES" EXPEDITION.

PROFESSOR'S EXPERIENCES.

LONDON, March 7.

Though he has just emerged from the dangers, worries, and hardships of a 2700 miles - pioneering flight into the heart of Africa, Professor Peter Chalmers Mitchell, who was in charge of the Times machine which crashed at Tabora in an attempt to fly to the Cape, discusses the enterprise like an enthusiastic schoolboy.

In his first detailed message from Dar-es-Salaam he sums up the situation thus: "Notwithstanding my experiences, I would gladly repeat the attempt from the same place, with the same crew, and with improved engines.*' , The actual flying time from Heliopolis to Tabora, in former German East Africa, was 36£ hours, averaging 75 miles an hoar. He considers that the Cape could easily b reached in five days with normal engines, travelling between 6 a.m. and noon.

Professor Mitchell, who describes himself as a middle-aged and sedentary passenger, adds that he found the air motion at its worst better than the sea, and ordinarily better than, the train. Writing, reading and eating were more pleasant, and the journey less tiring. While the capsize at Tabora gave an inevitable impression of the fragility of the machine, it also indicated that an aircrash involved the passengers in less danger than a corresponding road or _ rail smash. He expects that the route will soon be quite suitable for private travellers.

"With good pilots the risk to life is extremely small," he adds, "though the risk to the machine is considerable, hence passenger and commercial services would require relays of machines." Discussing the blacks whom they met on the route, and who were mostly friendly Professor Mitchell says that a knowledge of native language is unimportant. AM the natives answer to the name of George, and understand handshaking Cigarettes grins, and gestures often proved helpful. Captain Cockerill. the pilot of the Times machine, says : "The art of flying has developed a knowledge of how to crash with the least injury to the pilots and passengers. '