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Aviation History
1929
1929 - 0155.PDF
JANUARY 24, 1929 on the surface of the sea, very light for the first 3 hrs. and then graduallyincreasing to 15 knots at Timor ; the wind at 1,000 ft. was S.E. 5 to 10 knots for the majority of the flight. The. sea was calm to slight and the waterclear ; many large fish were seen and many flying fish. A few birds were seen about 200 miles from land. No shipping was seen. The air was smoothuntil the Flight was near Timor, when it became bumpy, particularly over Semau Strait. A good landfall was made, the coast being sighted when 30miles away. The Flight landed in formation at 13.00 at Tenau and secured to the moorings which had been used on the outward flight. It was a highspring tide arid two of the mooring buoys were 3 ft. below the surface of the water, as the length of wire between the buoys and sinkers was too shortfor the depth of water in which they had been laid. After some difficulty the flying-boats secured to the moorings, but S. 1149 dragged her mooringinto deep water as soon as the engines were stopped, and had to anchor. The mooring pendant of S. 1149, with the moorings attached, was unshackled fromthe bows of the flying-boat and buoyed, a boat was borrowed from the Dutch S.S. Gemma, which was: anchored at Tenau, the moorings were weighedand re-laid as close in to the shore as was consistent with the safety of the flying boat at low tide, and S. 1149 was taxied up and moored to them ; nofurther trouble was experienced. The following day was spent at Koepang. The mooring site, which was the same as that used on the outward journey,proved quite satisfactory during the S.E. Monsoon, but the local authorities state that during the W. Monsoon, i.e., from October to April, it would bedangerous, and recommend Pelican Bay in Semau Island. Monday, September 3. Koepang—Bima. 310 miles. (4 hrs.15 mins. ; 71 knots).—Moorings were slipped at 05.40, the weather being line with a clear sky, a calm sea and a S.E. wind of 1 knot. The Flight tookoff in formation at 05.50 in 30 seconds, each carrying 360 galls, of fuel, and flew up the Straits to Koepang, where course was set for Mount Roka, alongthe south coasts of Flores, Rinja and Komodo, thence up Sapeh Strait to Naru Point and Bima Bay, where the Flight landed in formation at 10.05 andsecured to buoys off the pier there. The flight from Mount Roka past Timor Island to Bima was the mostpicturesque since leaving Singapore, the blue haze adding greatly to the beauty of the mountains. A Dutch passenger ship of about 4,000 tons, heading-for Koepang, was passed at OS.3". The weather throughout the flight was fine, the wind generally S.E. about10 knots, the. sea was calm to slight, and it was rather hazy with a visibility of 5 to 10 miles. The height of the Flight was between 1,000 and 2,000 ft.,and at this height the air generally was smooth with accasional bumps near the land, and it was moderately bumpy over Bima Bay. The moorings were closer together and nearer the shore than on the outwardflight; this arrangement was more convenient and no trouble was experienced. Tuesday, September 4. Bima—Sourabaya. 375 miles. (4 hrs.55 mins. ; 76 knots.)—Moorings were slipped at 05.45, the weather being fine with a 0*1 clouded sky, a calm sea and no wind ; there were patches ofmist on the low-lying parts of the land. The Flight took off in formation at 05.55 in 42 sees., each boat carrying 4011 galls. Of fuel, and left for Sourabaya.The route followed was to the entrance of Bima Bay, Pakijongan Point, Agar-Agar Point, Bungkulan Point, Cape Sedano, China Point and Sourabaya. The weather during the flight was fine with winds from S.E. to E.N.E.0 to 15 knots. The sea generally was slight except when crossing the Straits, when it was moderate. It was rather ha?.y, but the visibility was never lessthan 5 miles. Shortly before reaching Sourabaya the Flight was met and escorted in by a formation of three Brandenburg twin float, two-seater sea-planes of the Netherlands Navy. The Flight landed in formation off the Air Station at Sourabaya at 10.50, taxied up the long approach channel to thebuoys used on the outward flight and secured to them. From Wednesday, September 5, to Saturday, September 8, was spent atSourabaya. Sunday, September 9. Sourabaya—Batavia. 370 miles. (4 hrs.45 mins. ; 78 knots).—All crews were on board the flying-boats at 04.30 to get the boats ready for flight and to have breakfast. Moorings were slipped at05.30, and the boats taxied down the approach channel into the open. The tees FAR EAST FLIGHT-ROYAL AIR FORCE Place. Singapore ..Kla bat Bay BataviaSourabaya . . BimaKoepang BroomePort Hedland Carnarvon ..Perth AlbanyIsraelite Bay Murat Bay..Adelaide Melbourne . .Paynesville Sydney ..Brisbane Gladstone . . BowenCooktown . . Thursday IslandMelville 'Bay Port Darwin Koepang . .Bima Sourabaya BataviaKlabat Bay- Singapore . . * Actual track circling towns or f Average flyin water and land. Table of Statistics Date of Arrival. — .. May 21. . May 23 .. May 25 . . May 28. . May 30 . . June 1. . June 3 . . June 6June 7 June 15. . June 19 . . June 20. . June 22 June 29. . July 30 August 1August 11 . . August 18 .. August 19. . August 24 August 28. . August 29 August 30 SeptemberSeptembe September SeptemberSeptember September Totals Distance from previous Port, Nautical Miles.* Time.f Hrs. 215 320 370 375 310 470 260 495 460 270 330 515 350 475 200 350 430 260 280 340 360 350 370 1 470r 3 310 4 375 9 37014 275 15 235 3 5 t, 5 5 6 3 7 6 3 4 7 5 6 2 4 6 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 4 4 4 3 3 1»,19O 144 Mins. 20 ! 45 1 0 40 20 55 30 55 00 50 30 10 15 20 40 45 10 30 10 35 15 20 20 15 15 55 45 30 0 5 flown from port to port exclusive of distance flown picking up formation. g time per aircraft, exclusive of all engine running on The average ground speed was 72 knots. Average flyingaircraft during the cruise : 144 hrs. 5 i Average flying time per aircraft on Singapore and returning there : 1 hr. nins.local flights between 5 mins. timf per 1 leaving weather was fine with a little cloud near the horizon and a slight haze ; thesea was calm and the wind S.W. 5 knots. The Flight took off in formation at 05.50 in 33 sees., each boat carrying 400 galls, of fuel and flew up SourabayaStrait to Panak Point, thence to Cape Janom, Inderamayu Point, Sedari Point, Krawang Point and Batavia where the Flight landed in succession inthe harbour of Tandjoeng Priok at 10.35, and secured to the sterns of the four refuelling lighters which were moored to the middle four of the west lineof ship buoys in the harbour. The weather during the flight was fine and the sea slight to moderate,it was rather hazy, with fair visibility, the average height of the Flight was about 2,000 ft. where the wind varied from S. to E.S.E. 0 to 15 knots, andthe air was smooth. There were a few clouds occasionally at 1,000 ft. Refuelling to 380 galls, per boat was carried out on landing, the only trouble THE ROYAL AIR FORCE FLYING-BOAT CRUISE : Top—One of the Supermarine-Napier metal-hull flying-boats, as employed in this Far East flight, flying over the land between Akyab and Rangoon. Below—Some of the non-paying passengers (barnacles) being scraped off the hull of one of the flying-boats at Trincomali, Ceylon. 65
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