STORM ON ROUTE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1934, Page 5

STORM ON ROUTE

PERILS OF AIR RACE MANY LANDINGS SOAKED TERRIFIC RAINSTORMS OUTLOOK DISCOURAGING BAY OF BENGAL DANGER By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Singapore, Oct. 17. Terrific tropical downpoufs have occurred throughout the Malay Peninsula and over the Bay of Bengal, and the weather prospects for the Allahabad-Singapore-Darwin stages of the Centenary Air Race are most discouraging. If the storms do not abate the competitors will have a perilous crossing of Bengal Bay, with water-logged aerodromes to welcome them after a sea crossing of more than 1700 miles. Several aerodromes along the race route are under water.

Local pilots tell stories of rain storms which have beaten them down to within 50 feet of the sea and have done severe damage to their machines. Local flying is practically at a standstill. The Singapore aerodrome is in good condition, but if the rain continues the race pilots will be unable to take off in the heavy going with enough fuel to make the 2000 miles to Darwin nonstop. This will necessitate refuelling in Java, where heavy rains are also reported. The Singapore committee authorities consider the Bay of Bengal section the most hazardous in the race even in good weather, as for almost 2000 miles there is only water or jungle, and in the present weather conditions the stage is beset with incalculable perils. PREPARATION FOR START GALE AT THE AERODROME MORE ENTRANTS ARRIVE London, Oct. 16. An Australian Press Association message from Mildenhall states that a gale to-day swept the aerodrome, which is becoming the scene of more intensive preparations for the air race, which starts on Saturday. The gale was so severe that all test flights were postponed. The first American high-speed machine to arrive was Colonel Roscoe Turner’s magnificent all-metal Boeing Transport plane. It was followed by Colonel J. C. Fitzmaurice’s “Irish Swoop,” entered by the Irish Hospitals Trust Ltd. Mr. F. Stewart, an Auckland wireless operator, makes the third member of Squadron-Leader Hewett’s crew. The copilot is Flying-Officer C. Kay. Both Dutch entrants for the race, the K.L.M. Douglas air-liner and a Dutch syndicate’s Pander Post-Jager have arrived at Mildenhall. The Royal Aero Club technical experts are continuing their work of weighing and measuring the machines which have arrived at Mildenhall. The arrivals include a Fairey Fox entered by the New Guinea Centenary Flight Syndicate. Early to-day Mr. Geysendorffer flew from Amsterdam to Croydon in 70 minutes. Mr. Ray Parer, who practically stepped out of hospital into a plane, arrived at Mildenhall after an adventurous trip, reporting a 60-mile-an-hour gale. He had been in the tropical diseases hospital in London for two days for inoculations against a recurrence of malaria. He is looking far from well, but is determined to start in the race.