LOST IN THE CLOUDS

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1930, Page 14

LOST IN THE CLOUDS

, TWO HOURS’ BLIND FLYING. AUCKLAND AIAN’S EXPERIENCE. To fly blind over .unknown, country for over an hour. was the experience of. the Rev. C. G; Scrimgeour, one of the pilots who took ’ part in. the Auckland Aero Club’s crossrcountry’ flight to Te Afoha. Five.-machines left. Auckland to participate' in -the air pageant at Te Aroha, but oh the journey from. Auckland Air. Scrimgeour lost the remainder of the party when the formation entered heavy clouds, and it was-not until ~two hours later, when .he/returned ,-jxi /the club’s aerodrome, that his whereabouts were known. /' . / • ' ■., ,- - ..,-/' /, Air. Scrimgeour stated .that, he was flying, the only machine which was not equipped with a compass. He was on the left.of the leader, which entered a heavy bank of clouds near Bombay. He lost'touch with the other machines and climbed above the clouds. As the clouds were, so heavy, that he-was not able to see his wing-tips, he flew-low until he saw the Bombay Hills below him. When lie began to climb, again Mr. Scrimgeour soon found be was flying .blind. For 20 mjnutes'he .was-unable to

see anything beyond bis machine, even the position of the sun being obscured .Without a compass he had no sense of direction, while the absence of any horizon added to his difficulties. In the. middle of the cloud bank a(heavy storm of sleet fell, making it .necessary for Mr. Scrimgeour td remove his goggles to see the instruments on the dash-board. The goggles were damaged slightly, with the result-that he was forced to fly for the rest of the time without their aid. Conditions were very bad and the machine bumped badly. The machine was difficult to control, falling into, steep dives, and .when Air.-Scrimgeour corrected these he was frequently caught in other air currents, and at times ’the nose, of the machine wa?, thrown up until it almost stalled. After spending 20 -minutes in the clouds Air. Scri.mgeour rose to’ 6000 ft.,; but then was unable to pick up any land--mark,’all that he could see beneath him being a sea of cloud extending for miles in every direction. f‘lt was -the worst sensation of loneliness I have ever experienced,” he said. “My only comfort was that the engine was ticking over steadily, and I had no doubt that it would keep on as long’ as I had petrol.” The first landmark Mr. Scrimgeour recognised was the new St. Stephen’s College at Bombay. By following the Great South Road he was able to return to tHe aerodrome, which he reached two hours after he had left it. He then hud only a small quantity of petroL