FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18536, 5 April 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

AIRMEN S THRILLING JOURNEY. (United Press Association—By Electrlo Telegraph—Copyright.) SYDNEY, April 4. A terrific struggle to get through, Is how Cyril Kay described the flight from England to Australia, when, with his companion in misfortune, Harold Piper, he. landed in Sydney yesterday afternoon. Describing their hardships, FlightLieutenant Kay said: "We both are a stone lighter than when we left England. We rarely were able to take a decent meal, and never relished breakfast. Our eight forced landings worried us beyond measure. Our flight, therefore, was in the nature of a frost compared with those already on record. Still, we are mighty glad to be safe in Australia.” There were stages, according to Kay’s informal talk, when they were flying blind. They were lost for an hour in one of the worst snowstorms on the Continent. There were occasions when they landed in darkness. This actually occurred at Timor. The machine was buried in the sand and stood on its nose. They had to pull it back Into position. "What motive prompted the flight?” Kay was asked. He replied: “Sheer ambition. We obtained three months’ leave from the Air Rorce and had to cable for an extension. We are hoping that it will be granted. "We had no trouble whatever with the authorities in any country. On the contrary, we received the utmost hospitality. It was necessary each night, after landing, to spend a couple of hours inspecting and looking over our machine, and we were not fit for anything when we turned in.” Kay added that their monoplane had a flying range of 600 miles.