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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 1073.PDF
FLIGHT, OCTOBER 27, 1932 FLYING DOWN THE WEST AFRICAN COAST Lecture (abridged) delivered before the Royal Aeronautical Society on Thursday, October 20. 1932, in the Lecture Hall of the Royal Society of Arts, by Fit. Lt. W. G. Pudney Being an account of a journey down the West Coast of Africa made by Miss Delphine Reynolds in her " Bluebird," piloted by Fit. Lt. Pudney. The lecture is peculiarly apposite in view of the recent announce ment that Mrs. Mollison is shortly to attempt to lower her husband's record from England to Capetown, flying over the West Coast Route / •p' HE purpose of this lecture is to set out the flying \J m conditions in West Africa, starting from JL Tangiers down the Aeropostale route to Dakar and then down the coast and the alternative route from Oran to Goa on to Jebba. By looking at the map I consider the route London, Marseilles, Oran, Goa, Jebba, thus linking up all the British protectorates, is a better route than the East Coast route to Cape Town. I visited protectorates such as the Gambia, Sierra Leone, and all the white population are very keen on aviation. The shipping line of Elder Dempster has ship yards at all ports, and any operating line would be well advised to keep in close touch with them as they have the monopoly of the west coast trading. Operating Staff—Precautions Great care must be exercised against malaria. Glare of the eyes is another thing one must be very careful of. The sun's rays reflected from dead calm water strikes the eyes and one is attacked by terrific headaches and the eyes will not focus on a given point. I make a point of this because on landing one would undoubtedly meet disaster if the water was calm. The sun is the greatest enemy of mankind on the west coast, and three minutes in the sun without a topee is the equivalent to a hit on the head with a 20-lb. hammer. Before taking off in a seaplane on rivers, first taxi half a mile to disturb the water, and crocodiles and hippo potami will disappear and prevent one running your float down. Trans-Saharan Air Routes There are four points on the North African Coast from which safe crossings of the Atlas Mountains can be made. These coastal ports (all of which are both sea and air ports with good accommodation for seaplanes and aero planes) are Bougie, Algiers, Oran and Tangiers. Between Bizerta (Tunis) and Algiers and between Oran and Tangiers, the crossing of the Atlas is dangerous. Owing to the formation of the mountain ranges and the difference in temperature between the atmosphere of the Mediterranean and the desert the winds are treacherous. The mountains contain a large amount of iron ore in places, possibly magnetic, which is liable to affect the compass. The crossing at Algiers necessitates an altitude of 6,000 ft. or more. At Oran only 4,000 ft. altitude has to be con tended with, and as the slope is more gradual on each side, the effects of the differences in atmo spheric conditions are not so noticeable. Tangiers is an international treaty port where fuel is at its lowest price, being duty free. It also offers the shortest sea passage. Leaving Tangiers, the best route is to follow the railway south for about 80 miles, then take a course approximately S.E. passing the Fez Railway, then a second railway in a direct line, arriving at Colomb Bechar about 350 miles from Tangiers. Colomb Bechar is a railhead and practic ally anything necessary can be obtained there. There are also repair shops, wireless station and good hotels. From Colomb Bechar to Reggan the route is easily traced as the roads can be clearly seen and the whole route follows a line of oases. A number of prepared landing grounds exist, and it is also possible to land almost anywhere with safety. There is no trouble from hostile natives or bandits of any descrip tion in this area. Reggan is the final depot before cross ing the Atlas Mountains. It is well supplied with all requirements, a good landing ground, repair shops, fuel and oil supplies, wireless station and a good hotel. The weather is good all the year round, correctly forecast by the meteorological stations and storms are rare. Visi bility is good between the Atlas foot hills and the Niger ; the air is always clear and free from mist or haze. The prevailing winds are southerly in summer and northerly in winter. There are two emergency refilling stations on the Tanezrouft, one at Bidon Cinq, on the beaten track at a point about 300 miles from Reggan and another at El Eouit, about 240 miles south of Bidon Cinq. The Tanezrouft is a large area of hard flat level surface with very little drift sand except at isolated places and covered with loose pebbles. The average altitude is about 1,000 ft. above sea level. There is no surface water or wells and no vegetation until reaching the Sudan country, which commences about 90-100 miles south of the emergency refilling station of El Eouit. Sand storms are rare and not very dense at any time, and an aeroplane can easily take an altitude to get above them. The sand storms in the Tanezrouft are not to be compared with those on the Great Ergs where whole caravans can be covered up in the drift sand. The principal station to make after passing the Tanez rouft is Goa. The Niger forms a horse shoe with Burem at the bend, and on picking up this point the river is followed to the south-east for about 50 miles, where Goa will be easily seen as it is a town of considerable size. There is a good hotel of the Cie General Transsaharaienne at this town and an ample supply of fuel, oil and other supplies. With the exception of the Mangrove and wooded banks of the Niger, the route from Goa to Niamey and on to the Nigerian Frontier or the Northern part of Nigeria is all Sudan country consisting of rolling ground covered with bush. The main roads are good for motor traffic and safe landings can be made in many places. Food is good and plentiful everywhere on the route except on the Tanezrouft. The route via Oran is the most practical, at any rate The " Bluebird " (Gipsy III) with Fit. Lt. Pudney. 1001
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