A LONG FLIGHT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10659, 4 August 1920, Page 6

A LONG FLIGHT

AVIATORS REAGH DARWIN EVENTFUL JOURNEY FROM ENGLAND. , By Telegraph—Press Ajgn.—Copyright DARWIN, August 3. Lieutenants Pnrcr and Mcintosh have arrived. They had only enough petrol left to haio carried them another two miles. The aviators wore expected in tho forenoon, but did not arrive until after dark. A large number of people gathered and anxiously awaited tho aviators, who succeeded in making ii graceful landing after flying over tho town.

The last stage of the journey from Atcinbii-.-a occupied eight hours. Lieutenant Parcr, •*■ boyish-looking man, stated that when he was ready to start, at 6 o'clock in the morning, he found the carburetter faulty, owing- to some perished rubber, and it had to be 'taken to pieces, and the departure was postponed for thrco hours. Shortly after starting the air speed indicator went wrong, and ho was unable to tell the drift of tho air. An empty petrol drum was lashed to the machine, to serve as a float if they were compelled to descend on the sea. Storms were encountered in the early part of the day, and a strange air current in the latter part of the journey.. These currents carried them considerably out of their course. Big bush fires obscured the coast, but they eventually sighted Darwin after a very anxious time, owing to the low- petrol supply. The aviators had a great welcome from the public, and were afterwards accorded a reception by the Administrator. In a few days they will continue their flight across the Northern Territory to Brisbane, and thence to Sydney.

The feat accomplished by Parer and Mcintosh is an extraordinary one for manv reasons. Using a. single-engine de Haviland scout that was stated to have seen its best days, the enterprises P a ' r ' e f* Hounslow on January Bth for Australia. Their ambition—to do the journey in less time than the Ross " Smith party—was : laudable enough, but there were many things they had not reckoned with. They met with many accidents, experienced bad weather, were attacked by Arabs, and. on one occasion, when at Monlmein, they went near to losing their lives as the result of making a bad landing. The "old 'bus," as they termed the de Haviland, was badly smashed, but after a delay of six weeks the_ airmen were able to continue on their journey. They were delayed again on the Malay Peninsula, and at Singapore had to order a new engine. The time occupied on the journey was close on seven months, whereas tlje E-oss Smith party took one month. It is worthy of note that the aviators took personal responsibility for the risks, official sanction having been withheld.