HINKLER'S FLIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19916, 9 April 1928, Page 6

HINKLER'S FLIGHT.

BI BERT HINKLEB.

'ABOVE ROME IN DARKNESS. SEARCH FOR LANDING PLACE. [THE CROSSING TO AFRICA. DEMONSTRATION OF FAITH.

(Copyright). • No. VI. As I approached the city of Eome, I saw what I thought to be the aerodrome signal lights—a great, flashing red sign. ■I tell you I felt bucked. Light-hearted! I'll swear the plane rose as if ballast had been thrown out. The moon showed me the lie of the land, and I turned in from the coast and passed over forest, river and hills. As I got nearer I had a rudo awakening. The signal light proved to be a hulking great advertisement. They ought not to allow telectric advertisements. It puts a man (off. Still, I wasn't dead yet. The aerodrome, ]i knew, lay to the S.E. iDf Rome, but the exact spot I had forgotten. In that light it was impossible to see where the suburbs ended and the city began. I flew to where I had put the aerodrome when I left it eight years before. I couldn't find it. For half an hour I flew round and round like a bird that has missed its nest. No luck. So I set down to a systematic search and combed the city from the fr.E., zigzagging right and left in the , Idirection of the city proper. No luck. Ho Response Irom the Ground. " Could ihey have shifted or sold the thing?" I wondered, fed up with searching. Pretty hard, I thought, for me to J break a record getting here without being compelled to fly round all night till the neighbours got up to take in the milk, lend I could get a milkman to show me ihe way. Then, hooray! In the light of the moon I discovered it and made out the Very hanger where I had put my Baby [Avro to bed eight years before. I was at 1000 ft. Not a light below; jiot a soul stirring. " I floated round, and noted a lot of additional buildings, bringing my knowledge up-to : data. I looked for the wireless lights on the masts. I found them at last, tiddley little things • like a motor tail-light. They were no ihelp at all. Then I noticed some people about and fluttered to and fro like an lingry moth, trying to attract their attention and make thera see I needed help. I flashed a little S.O.S. with my pocket torch to show I wanted flares. The only Bare was in my temper. Once or twice I came right down, rooming as though I were going to land. Nothing happened. I was in Rome, and had to do what the Romans were doing ►— nothing. I decided that it was getting on to my bedtime, and I'd have to have a shot at a dark landing. With the rnoon at my back, I managed it, forced to make it irrespective of the wind, which I had tried to estimate as best 1 could. My wide undercarriage helped me here, taking away the slight drift caused by the cross "pind. A Long Day's Ending. Once 1 touched the ground I stayed there. Perhaps I was > bit impatient, but minutes up there seemed like hours. 'As I landed flares were lit, and I taxied toward a hangar. I was met by hundreds of soldiers, who became violently interested in me and rny plane's night arrival. It was 20 minutes to 9. There was a babel of voices, and I wondered what had happened. I was quito an hour and a-half before I got the machine housed away. Then came along the customs, and another wait fol- 1 lowed. By the time I caught a tram into the city of the Caesars it wa3 11 {j.m. I ate, changed my money, sent some cables, and at, 1 a.m. crawled into bed as happy as a king or an airman. My last thdught was of how wonderful the lights of a big city are from the air. 1 had looked on London's fading lights that morning and said good-bye to them; 1 had thrilled to' the lights of the city that had marked the end of a perfect day. The lights of Home, and the lights of Rome, and 1200 long miles between them. Well, I was on my way, all right. Just a trifle more than four hours' sleep jam! I was up, before tho Roman sunrise, #nd out to the aerodrome. Just as no horseman worth' his salt looks after himself before his horse is made comfortable, to an airman takes the first opportunity of inspecting his engine and seeing that everything is in order on his 'plane. While 1 was attending to the l-equire-inenfs of my little bus and refilling her tanks, an official came up to go through the formalities necessary on leaving a foreign country. With excessive politeness, in which we both strove to outdo each other, the official and 1 saw the tiling through. Several others were on the ground, Si awn by the interest of my unexpected liight landing, and curious to see the tiny 'plane that, according to rumour, was attempting the h».\g Australiaa run. They had so many things to say and so many congratulations to offer that it was 9 o'clock before I W3S allowed to take the J'oad through their sky. Crossing the Mediterranean. My objective was Mslta—a short run tof about 600 miles. More was not advisable to attempt, for it is 450 miles across the sea from Malta to the African coast, and I' could hardly hope to have .Weather conducive to another record. Besides, in crossing a stretch of sea in b land plane, it is always possible, owinrr to the co-operation of the R.A.F. and the N'avy, to have help ready in case of Jieed. At Malta there were both R.A.F. ond Navy, and my idea was to spend the night at Valetla and arrange with them to await my rnessagp of safe arrival across the stretch of Mediterranean beyond Malta. One word about stunts. I am opposed to stunt flights, which have no object hut the exhibition of courage and, of course, skill. I have been accused of stunting in this journey of mine, as in its course 1 have had to risk my life in crossing Jong stretches of water in which I had to depend on the reliability of my engine. Of course this is so, but one of my objects, apart from my principal and simple desire to return home the quickest way, was to demonstrate afresh what I had already proved in England, but which I .wished to show in a way which would drive home the lesson to the average man —the excellence of the type of light plane to which I pin my faith for ordinary travel. I might have flown over land for 10 vears without driving home the lesson. uHnat I believed so firinly iu it as to risk iny life, as most would view it, in traversing long, sea stretches was to give an idea • pf my faith. For tlfat reason I maintain ♦hat the flight was not a stunt, but a distinct gain to aviation knowledge. How*vei'» i® flying a long way off pjy