ILL-STARRED FLIGHTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21103, 13 August 1930, Page 6

ILL-STARRED FLIGHTS.

TWO CRASHES IN FRANCE.

MB PARKERSON STILL UNDAUNTED.

(Special to Dailt Twee.) AUCKLAND, August I*. “Yes, I’d do it again, and I still have the strongest desire to fly. One of these days I might again tty a flight from England to New Zealand," said Mr C. P. Parkerson, of Auckland, who arrived on the Maunganui this morning. When in England Mr Parkerson conceived the idea of flying to New Zealand, but he . crashed in France on the two occasions on which he set out in a new Gipsy Moth. “ I was lucky, very lucky," he said, “ and it was only on account of having forgotten to strap myself in on the second occasion that I was saved." Mr Parkerson still bears signs of his injury. "I just thought I’d like to fly home, that’s all. I was fascinated with the flying game, and after 40 hours in the air I managed to get my license. It was a wonderful experience flying in heavy fogs over England. If anything teaches a man to fly it’s that. My plane let me down seven times altogether, five of which were when I was landing in England." “On both my attempts to reach New Zealand, however,” said Mr Parkerson, “ I was only two hours in ths air when the crashes came in France. The first time I started out was on March 27, and I reached a place called Arque. I had always had trouble with the engine. It' would run for an hour or two and then become heated. That happened near Arque, where J waa forced down to an impossible landing ground. . The plane turned several somersaults before striking the earth. Although this time I woe strapped in, I was not hurt Repairs were effected at Le Bourget, and later I flew back to England to make a fresh start. “ I took off again on April 21, and crossing the Channel encountered heavy sleet clouds, The weather was 'bright over France, but several tog banks were met with, the last one being low over the earth. I thought I would go right up through it to get out over the ton of the hank. I opened her up to the full extent of her power, when suddenly, before I could get out of the cloud, the engine burst into flames. Although my face was badly burned, I managed to turn off tbe petrol supply, but could do nothing else. The plane then side-slipped and shot down 700 feet or 600 feet until its tail caught in a tree, > which broke the controls. 1 was shot right up into the air again, and found that the controls had completely gone. “With the agonising pain of my burns somehow or other I did not lose eon* soiousness. but I could do nothing. The spinning and Whirling plane took three or four sharp turns and came hurtliugto earth at about 70 miles an hour. The next thing I realised was that the fire was out. Bow that happened goodness only, knows; it was a miracle. There was no time to think, except confused wonder-' ing whether my head would come off, and then the crash. I have no idea how t ~ got out, nor has anybody else for that matter. All the petrol tanks burst and one just behind my shoulders set fire to my flying suit which was burnt from the heels up to the neck. “During this flight from England to France,” proceeded Mr Parkerson, “1 felt particularly comfortable and I won- i dered at the cause of it. I then die-. covered that I had neglected to fasten myself in with my belt, and that saved me. Some Frenchmen arrived 10 minutes after the crash and I was stilt conscious, although my right eye was scorched and I could not see out of it. My left eyewas ‘bunged up' and I could Just see out of the corner of it. Those Fnnoh people were remarkably flat and took me away to a small cafe on the Somme. A doctor who was called in waa more, than kind in ‘ his attentions/ and the old proprietor used to sit up all night with me. After five days a friend of mine arrived irom England and took me back. Still I could not see. On arrival, I went to friends at High Wycombe, where I was five weeks under a doctor.“At last I. managed to get out and immediately tried my luck In ths air again. ■ I experienced no nerve troubl whatever* and telt'as- keen on flying as ever. My j friends dissuaded me from making a third attempt,.and as my wife was anxiously awaiting my arrival in Auckland I decided to leave the air alone for a bit and travel by sea. I left Eng* land on June 25, and here I am as fit as ever,"