M’GREGOR SAFE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20447, 27 October 1934, Page 1

M’GREGOR SAFE.

Fears for New Zealand Flyers Set at Rest. REPORTED ON WAY TO CLONCURRY. (United Press,Association. —Bj Electric Teles.—-lull. —L'-eyriglit.) (Received October 27, 1 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 27. FEARS FOR the safety of the New Zealand flyers, SquadronLeader M. C. M’Gregor and H. C. Walker, were set at rest just before midday, when news was received that they were safe and were flying on to Cloncurry. A message from Charleville early this morning said that they were five hours overdue at Cloncurry, which they should have reached last night. Leaving Darwin at nine o’clock yesterday morning, they look five hours to cover the 384 miles to Newcastle Waters, [heir speed thus being less than 80 miles an hour. As the special aerial mail was delayed by head winds and poor visibility and a forced landing at Avon Downs, 50 miles from Camooweal, it seems certain that the New Zealanders experienced similar conditions.

\v ireless and telephone stations at many outlying places are closed down during the night and it was impossible to communicate with certain centres until morning. The airmail pilot, who reported their landing at Brunette Downs, merely stated that they had inquired at Brunette Downs for the route to Cloncurry. He did not report that they had taken off. If M’Gregor landed after wireless communication had ceased at Brunette Downs and decided to remain for the night, their decision would not be known until the morning. The country between Brunette Downs and Camooweal is monotonous and featureless, but towards Cloncurry it is rather dangerous and in many parts hilly, with few facilities for forced landings. Assuming that M’Gregor pushed on to Cloncurry and they maintained a speed of 80 miles an hour, they should have covered the 350 miles in about four hours and should therefore have landed at Cloncurry shortly after nine last night. If they were forced down in desert country they should have been able to land without serious injury, but a forced landing in the

hilly section would have - been fraught with danger. M’Gregor and Walker arrived at Darwin yesterday at 9.20 a.m. (New Zealand time) and left for Charleville at 10.37 a.m.. They broke the records of both Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Mr C. T. P. Ulm. They took 5A days from Milden.hall to Darwin The best time before the Melbourne air race, for a light plane, was seven days four hours by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, and the best for any type six days seventeen hours by C. T. P. Uum. Wanted to Push On. M’Gregor and Walker are flying th‘; smallest air race machine yet to reach Australia, their ’plane being only about the same size as the well-known de Havilland Moth. Both men were pleased with their experience in crossing the Timor Sea. M’Gregor said they would have been in Australia on Thursday had it not been necessary to dismantle the cowFng of the engine at Koepang. The pilots were more than a little tired, but a cold wash and a hot -breakfast revived them.# . * M’Gregor was very modest in describing the flight, which occupied 5 days 15i hours from London. “Wc

had a very good trip and there were 1 no incidents,” he said. “ I could do j with a little sleep. Both of us have j had practically none since we left Lon- j don, but we managed to get a short | nap yesterday night while waiting for i ■ the cowling to be overhauled.” I When it was pointed out to I J M’Gregor that his time from London j was a really excellent performance for j | a light, single-engined machine, he, merely replied: “It feels like a month. , We want to push on as quickly as pos- { i Able. There is no sense in wasting j J M’Gregor added that they did not encounter any major trouble. They ' were bogged at Alor Star, where the . mud seemed to be giving trouble to most of the ’planes, i “ The flight over the Timor Sea this ; morning was a very good one, but at J one stage we ran into a heavy raini storm and, in order to dodge it, had ! to climb to a very great altitude,” said M’Gregor. “ Night flying does not ' worry us a bit now, because we have | done so much of it on this flight.” Landed at Brunette Downs. , M’Gregor landed at Brunette Downs , at 5 p.m. and was directed to Cloncurry. j • lie has not been sighted since. Another j ! message states that M’Gregor was re- : ported over Newcastle Waters at 2 ! r ’ m ,’ | Considerable interest is being disi played in M ’Gregor’s flight owing to the possibility of his scoring heavily in the | handicap

M’Gregor and Wa’ker were entered ! by the Manawatu Aero Club. M'Gregor is one of the best-known pilots in New ; Zealand. In the Great War, he was in j the famous 58 Squadron cf the Royal. ! Air Force, led by Major W. A. Bishop. ! In New Zealand, aftn the war, he kept up his flying at the refresher courses of : the New Zealand Territciial Air Force ! till light planes began to be produced, 1 when he was for a time pilot to Hamili ton Airways. Later he was engaged in | jov-riding work for some time, in j which he carried some of the experi- ' mental air mails. In 19”1 he attempted j to establish a regular service between I Christchurch and Dunedin, using a DH :50 machine of the Atr Force. Though ; he maintained his tirrje-tai.it with un- ! failing regularity, the venture did not j catch on, and was abandoned. The j Manawatu Aero Club engaged him as i instructor, and his headquarters have | been at Palmerston North for about ; two years. At the Manawatu Club’s > first pageant, he had an accident in a j stunting display whi :!i kept him in | hospital lor many months. He has ; now been flying again about a year. ; Mr Walker, his co-pl’ot. is the club i captain of the Manawatu Club, and is ; considered a steady and capable pilot.