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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0164.PDF
MARCH 1, 1928 AMSTERDAM-BATAVIA-AMSTERDAM : A four-minute shower was sufficient to result in boggingLieut. Koppen's Fokker (3 Armstrong-Siddeley " Lynx " engines) at Allahabad during the outward trip. to be still plenty of petrol and just sufficient daylight left to get to Sofia, where we, shortly before dark, alighted on the Bozurice flying field, after a journey of 11 hours. Imme- diately the 10 hours' maintenance prescribed by the engine makers was begun, showing that everything was in the best order. Petrol was to be obtained in plenty at Bozurice ; but benzol, not a drop ! Considering the Armstrong-Siddeley works had prescribed for their " Lynxes " a mixture of 80-20, we were in an awkward position. However, we determined to try to go further with only petrol—and she went well, for in a very speedy journey we flew the following day the stage to Aleppo, where we spent the rest of the day in the charming company of the French flying officers. The prescribed mixture petrol-benzol appears later only to be obtained in Karachi and Kandoeng. On October 3 we flew to Bushire. We followed the Euphrates, circling over the Flying Field of Bagdad-West, and continued our flight. Soon we made acquaintance with the first sand storm, and we were obliged to ascend to 3,000 m., where we left the sand behind. In remarkably quick time we approached the Persian Gulf and in three hours Bushire was reached. In no time here our machine was surrounded by a great number of natives. To our joy the Shell representative speedily came to us. He brought 500 litres of petrol, which, of course, was too little ; probably a mistake made in the telegram ! Luckily, we were able to obtain in the town a further 1,300 litres. As there was no suitable hotel we accepted thankfully the proposal of Mr. Benjamin of the French Consulate, and made use of an improvised bed in the Consulate. The following morning began the fourth stage. The Persian island is still somewhat a land of surprises. It is wild, grey and desolate, yet, in the most unexpected places we saw real paradises lying below. Instead of keeping to the coast, we went across country, here and there for 150 kms. inland. From off Gwadar we headed seawards right to Karachi, where a very hearty reception was given to us on the part of the British Royal Air Force. That we, four days ago, had departed from Amsterdam, no one at first would AMSTERDAM-BATAVIA-AMSTERDAM : In trouble once more; at Bangkok, on the return flight, the" Postduif " was badly bogged, resulting in slight damage and two days' delay. 144
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