DIFFICULTY IN LANDING

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1934, Page 3

DIFFICULTY IN LANDING

MISS BATTEN AT HASTINGS.

SUITCASE OBSCURES VIZSW.

Hastings, Aug. 3.

When Miss Jean Batten, the noted New Zealand girl flier, arrived at Hastings to-day ‘from Hamilton her landing was attended by an experience which she confessed was somewhat upsetting to her.

As soon as Miss Batten stepped from her machine she told the people standing around her that a passenger whom she had had in the aeroplane earlier in the day at Hamilton had left a suitcase in the front cockpit. Just as she was about to turn to make her landing she ran into an air bump and the case flew open. She reached forward and caught hold of it and drew it back toward her. She had then to hold it before her eyes, as she could not put it down on the floor of the cockpit on account of having to keep her feet unhindered. With her vision so obscured Miss Batten had .an anxious few moments, but ultimately she threw the case’ on to the ground so as to be able to see to make her landing. Miss Batten arrived at Hastings at noon, after an unpleasant trip. On leaving Hamilton she fotmd the visibility bad and later she and an escorting aeroplane ran into some very heavy weather. In consequence, Miss Batten was about an hour late in arriving. She was accorded a civic reception.

Before her take-off from the Te Rapa aerodrome, Hamilton, Miss Batten was delayed for about half an hour by magneto trouble with the aeroplane.