THE FLYING MEN.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12019, 24 March 1920, Page 5

THE FLYING MEN.

THE OA32E FLIGHT. Unitec! Press t Association—By Elaotrie Telegraph—Copyright. '•Received March 23, noon Reuter Capetown, March 23 The official log of Yan Ryneveld shows a total iflying time of 109j£ hours. He left Cairo on 10th February, but a radiator leak-obliged him to make a forced lauding in the dark, irreparably damaging the machine. The engines were intact and were conveyed to Cairo and retfited in a new machine, and the flight was resumed on 23nd February for Khartoum, where they discovered leaks in the wllter jackets, necessitating a change of cylinders. On the stage from Khartoum to Mongaila he encountered the most extraordinary experience of the trip. At one time he lost height to the extent of about 1500 feet in little more than a minute. On another occasion he had a like drop of 2000 feet, which he attributed to passing alternately over large patches of burnt and uuburnt grass country. Flying across Uganda he encountered dust devils, some of which rose as high as 8000 feet. He was forced to land at Shirati through engine troubles due to climatic conditions. After leaving Abercorn, 3500 feet above sea level, where he discarded everything not indispensible in order to rise easily, he had an anxious time en route to Ndola owing to interruption of the petrol supply, the machine gradually losing height when flying over the dense African bush. Matters looked black, but owing to the loss of weight through the consumption of petrol a level course was maintained to Ndola, and Bulawayo was eventually reached. Leaving on March sth the machine failed to rise jin a dead patch ‘iqf air, and was completely wrecked. The Union aeroplane Voor Trekker was sent to Bulawayo and the aviators resumed their flight to'Capetown, encounteriug ea route a thunderstorm which nadly chipped the propeller and completely tore off the binding. The propeller was replaced and the journey completed.