FLYING IN A STORM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18499, 11 September 1934, Page 11

FLYING IN A STORM

MR. ULM AND MR. LYONS PLANE ROCKED BY GALE The Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Lyons, and his party had a thrilling and occasionally uncomfortable journey when they flew from Queensland to Sydney recently in the “Faith in Australia.” Leaving Toowoomba about, mid-day, the aciopla.no was forced to 10,000 ft. bv Iho “bumpy” conditions over the Darling Downs and McPhersonks Range. To avoid Iho bumps Mi; G. IT. Allen, the pilot, headed the machine, for the sea, which was reached about Coffi’s Harbor, 300 miles north of Sydney. There dense clouds were -encountered, and 50 miles farther south the aeroplane flew into heavy rain and severe thunderstorms. Low, dark clouds, from which lightning flashes constantly flickered, forced the aeroplane to loss than -1000 ft. above tho waves, and a strong wind, wliic-'h at times seemed to reach gale force, rocked it violently. Mr Allen and 'Mr Ulm were able to avoid the worst of oho rainstorms, but the rain formed a dense grey curtain, which extended from the clouds to the water, and completely obscured the horizon.

Conditions along the coast were so rough that the last 150 miles of the flight was travelled at. an .average distance of about eight miles from the shore. The coastline, at times, was almost completely hidden by tbo clouds and the rain.