SURPRISE VISIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23207, 29 November 1938, Page 8

SURPRISE VISIT

jUTEEICAN FLYING-BOAT ARRIVAL AT SYDNEY NON-STOP FROM NEW GUINEA NATURAL HISTORY EXPEDITION ]]rRO.M OUR OWN correspondent] ; SYDNEY, Nov. 24 The, American flying-boat Guba, fcrwned by tlio millionaire explorer, {Richard Archbold, which is being used by the American Museum of Natural History for its expedition in Dutch New Guinea, arrived at Rose Bay on Tuesday, completing; the first noni!itop flight of 1750 miles from Port Moresby to Sydney. The visit of the iileek, twin-engined flying-boat, which ];ias been ferrying men and freight from Hollandia, on the coast of Dutch New Guinea, to the interior was a surprise. It was flown to Sydney to convey back equipment which will arrive from the ljnited States next week. Its flight from New Guinea to Sydney took 11S hours, at an average speed of 160 milesi an hour. The Guba was the first American flying-boat to land in Australian watersi after,a direct flight from beyond th® Commonwealth. It was the first oversea, machine to fly direct to Sydney. On itsi a rrival' at Rose Bay, the yellow quarantine flag was hoisted on a flying-boati for the first time. t , Crew and Passengers The flying-boat carried a crew of five, comprising Mr. 11. Rogers (pilot), Commander L. A. Yancey (navigator), Mr. It. Booth (radio engineer;, Mr. G. Brown (mechanic), and Mr. S. Barrinka (mechanic). There were four passengers—Mr. and Mrs. K. Franks, Miss M: Franklin and Mrs. G. 0. Higgins. Mr. Franks is in charge of the wireless station at Port Moresby, and Miss Franklin is matron at the Port Moresby Hospital. On arrival it was revealed that tho Guba, which is fitted with elaborate radio equipment, > was unable to maintain communication with tho wireless station at the Sydney airport even when iib ; was 25 miles off Sydney. It was, however, in touch with' New Guinea, 1750 miles away, until it alighted on Sydney Harbour. Flying at Great Height When 300 miles from Sydney, the flying-boat, which has a range of more than 4000 miles, called Kingsford Smith aerodrome, and was informed that there was bright sunshine over Sydney. .The navigator, Commander Yancey, ,who flew the Atlantic from Mains to Spain in 1929 with Roger Williams, headed the nose of the aircraft into a storm, expecting at any moment to break through into blue sky. In an endeavour to get over tho top of the storm, the flying-boat climbed to 20,000 ft., where, in a temperature of 10 degrees below zero, the passengers ■wra.pped themselves in blankets as protection against the freezing cold. "The expedition's coastal station in Dutch New Guinea is Hollandia, a fishing village about 700 miles from Port Moresby/' said Commander Yancey. 4i Tha expedition's pilot, Mr. R„ Rogers, has been- regularly flying heavy loads of supplies from the coast and landing on Lake Habema, which is 11,000 feet above sea level. Since July, Rogers, who is a famous flying-boat test pilot, has flown- 330,0001b. of equipment and 215 men inland. Primitive Natives "At the Grand Valley camp base there is a population of' between j 60,000 and 70,000 natives. They are of j the stone-age type, and have no metal i implements, but have plenty of sweet j potatoes and pigs. Our third base, Edinburg, is about 150 nautical miles from ! Hollandia. Associated with the expedition are six scientists, including four entomologists, a botanist, and a timber expert. The work of the expedition is progressing quickly and, at the preeeint stage, it would appear that we will be there for another three months."