AUSTRALIA TO JAPAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21819, 5 December 1932, Page 8

AUSTRALIA TO JAPAN

CAPTAIN CHICHESTER’S RIGHT ' WRECK OF THE SEAPLANE. ”, (Special to Daxlt Times.) WELLINGTON, December 4. _ An interesting account of his expertences since he left New Zealand in March last year on his transtasman flight, via Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands, was given by Captain F. C. Chichester, wno returned from England by the Ruahine, after recovering from the worst of the injuries he received when he crashed -in Japan. Captain Chichester went to England and recuperated in Devonshire. He has come back looking fit and well and still wearing the beard and moustache he grew while in Sydney. Captain Chichester said the flight from Australia to Japan was most interesting, especially the trip over the head hunters territory in New Guinea. A remarkable feature of that part of the flight was the formation of the country in the interior, which appeared to be in drains and ridges, evidence possibly of an ancient civilisation. As he was flying solo, however, his photographs were not very good, but he had sent one to the Royal Geographical Society, which intended to make investigations. Before he undertook the flight over New Guinea, Captain Chichester was warned that in the event of a forced landing it would be only a matter of hours before he was eaten by cannibals. He carried a pistol, but, fortunately, had no trouble on the flight. While at Merauke, on the coast of New Guinea, he saw some cannibals in prison. They belonged to the hill tribes who were in the habit of coming down to low country and carrying off anyone they could “for the stewpot.” The authorities did not execute those who were caught, but gave them a terra of prison. From New Guinea Captain Chichester went to the Aru Islands, lying to the west, and then on to Spice Islands. Aa_ ha was flying a seaplane he was able to visit many ports and rivers where a flying machine had not previously been seen. A seaplane was essential for such a .flight, he said, although it was harder to fly and entailed a colossal amount of maintenance, in addition to reducing the range. The next stage of the leisurely journey was to the Philippine Islands, and then on to Formosa,. Shanghai, and Japan. Up to this point Captain Chichester had had a certain amount of engine trouble, but no serious mishap. It was was circling the Japanese town of Katsura that his machine ran into a number of telephone wires stretched between two hills and nose-dived into the ground from a height of 150 feet He received numerous injuries, and the_ seaplane was completely wrecked. Skilful medical treatment by a Japanese doctor soon had him out of danger, and within a month he had recovered sufficiently to leave for Home, where he settled down quietly in Devonshire and wrote a book on his transtasman flight. Captain Chichester said he proposed to write another book on his flight from Australia to Japan, and in the meantime he would not do any serious flying. When he set out from Australia he had in mind a solo flight over Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Iceland to England, and if the opportunity offered in the future to make such a trip he would not hesitate to undertake it. While in England, Captain Chichester met Wing-commander S. Grant Dalton, formerly director of air services in New Zealand, who said he hoped to return to the Dominion if circumstances permitted.