LIGHT PLANE’S TRIUMPH

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1934, Page 9

LIGHT PLANE’S TRIUMPH

SUCCESSFUL FLIERS BACK McGregor and walker return. ROUSING WELLINGTON WELCOME. DESCRIPTION OF THEIR JOURNEY. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Among the very large number of passengers" who arrived at Wellington by the Monowai from Sydney to-day none received a more hearty welcome than Squadron-Leader M. C. McGregor and Mr. H. C. Walker, who narrowly missed flying into third, place in the handicap section of the centenary air race in a light aeroplane nominated by the Manawatu Aero Club. Four aeroplanes from the club flew to Wellington from Palmerston North, and before landing continued . about five miles out to sea to greet the steamer, over which one of the pilots, Mr. L. McGaffin, dropped a bouquet. The aviators were extended a warm welcome at the wharf. They will make their first public appearance at Palmerston North on Wednesday, commencing a tour of the Dominion. In an interview with Press representatives Squadron-Leader • McGregor and Mr. Walker did not maintain the reputation for silence which their brief speeches at the official receptions have gained for them, and they described, the jour-, ney in which they broke the EnglandDarwin record for a single-engined aeroplane, although it was in the matter-of-fact manner typical .of men whose attention during an adventure has been concentrated on the task in hand.' Squadron-Leader McGregor commented that they reached Calcutta in under three days, which was a record. In fact he did not think that previous to that the journey to Karachi had been done in three days. The engine had been performing well but the cowling was giving trouble. LANDINGS IN THE DARK. From Calcutta they went to Rangoon, striking most of the landing places in the dark. At Rangoon the natives were having a “festival of lights,” for which they had many lanterns alight, and the airmen found balloons 2000 feet up. On the flight from Alor Star to Singapore heavy tropical rain was encountered. Mr. Walker said that although. their machine had open, cockpits .they did not get wet unless the rain was exceptionally heavy. Ip the tropics they flew at an altitude of 8000 to 10,000 feet to keep cool, but coming down from 3000 feet it was “like going through- a' furnace.” They left Singapore just before dark for Batavia, which was. another stage over sea, continued Mr. Walker, and here, as throughout the flight, they found lighthouses very useful for keeping them on their course, which was important’ in the absence of wireless. The airmen left Koepang about 3 a.m. and crossed the Timor Sea in the dark, seeing the lights of H.M.A.S. Moresby on the way. '..They landed at Darwin in the parly morning, right on their course. At no time since leaving Mildenhall had they left their course, their greatest difficulty being the finding 'of aerodromes in the dark. THICK RED DUST STORM. Conditions were not bad and so they pushed on for*.Newcastle Waters, but they ran into thick red dust on this section.- It was necessary to .-follow tracks oxi’the ground in the absence of land-marks, but even as low as 200 feet their view of the ground was so bad that they could not find their bearings and they had to land at Brunette Downs. Unfortunately they had to spend the night there and it was not a checking point, so that the time counted against them. Next morning they continued to Cloncurry and Charleville, for which conditions were good. At Narromine, where they landed in the dark, they had a big reception, for they were the first competitors in the race to call there. At 4 a.m. next day they set out for Melbourne, where they landed four hours later very fit and fresh. “Staying the night at Brunette Downs counted us out of the prize money,” said Mr. Walker. They; were three hours behind Mr. C. J. Melrose, who gained third place and spent 15 hours on the ground. They were most tired the first night out but thereafter they’felt. better and better. At each stopping place they were able to find out how. those competitors in front of them were progressing, but news of those following was difficult to obtain and was unreliable. The organisation of the race was good.