FLIGHT TO AFRICA
BAD WEATHER HANDICAP BLIND FLYING NECESSITATED LONDON, Feb. 9 /Squadron-Leader O. R. Gayford, who with Flight-Lieutenant G. E. Nicholetts broke the world's long-distance flying record yesterday, cabled to the Air Ministry as follows:—"After tho failure of the automatic control we flew almost completely blind. With only brief glimpses of the moon, it was imposs ; ble to get a horizon arid we landed with just 10 gallons of petrol left. The engine behaved faultlessly throughout the flight, and gave us no qualms." Later details of the (light show that the airmen encountered very bad weather over Africa, and for a long time flew blind through rain and haze. A dense desert dust-storm put the automatic control mechanism out of action during the night and strong head winds were encountered throughout the following day. Although tho airmen had a certain quantity of petrol left, which would have enabled a further distance to have been covered, it was decided to make a landing during daylight. The fliers had actually passed Walvis Bay and were about 200 miles nearer to Capetown when they decided to return.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21414, 11 February 1933, Page 11
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185FLIGHT TO AFRICA New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21414, 11 February 1933, Page 11
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