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Aviation History
1933
1933 - 1006.PDF
FLIGHT, NOVEMBER 16, 1933 THE LOG OF THE "ASTRAEA y> Australia to England by Air with Imperial Airways By HUDSON FYSH (The Managing Director of Qantas, Ltd.) (Continued from, page 1119) SECTION II.—SINGAPORE-CALCUTTA We were now well on our way from Australia to Eng land, and it seemed hardly possible that Singapore was being left only on the beginning of the fourth day out from Darwin and that so much interest and change had been packed into such a short time. Each day had turned a new leaf of adventure and not once had we been disappointed. This instalment deals with the Singapore- Calcutta section, and that jnterest was sustained I will try and express. All from a comfortable lounge seat in the Astraea, air travel had made this adventure possible for me, and it can do as much for the ordinary traveller on inauguration of the new route. July 13, 1933 Twenty minutes before we took the air at Singapore, and while the Astraea's four engines were being brought to life, the Dutch Air Mail, a big Fokker, F.18, roared across the aerodrome and headed for Alor Star and Bangkok, the first stages of its long flight to Amsterdam. Its pilot was a famous old Dutch " skipper," with an unpronounceable and unwriteable name, and the two pas sengers, both for Bangkok, were the famous American high-speed pilot, Maj. Doolittle, and his wife. Soon we, too, were on our way, 6.40 a.m. seeing us away. The weather was good, and with a slight follow ing wind at 1,500 ft. the Astraea headed up the West Coast of the Malay Peninsula. Heavily populated areas were flown over and innumerable rubber and coconut planta tions stretching over miles of country. Possible landing grounds were completely non-existent. The beaches were oozy mud merging into inland swamp, and the country side consisted of intensely cultivated areas, jungle or timbered hills. Vegetation of some sort existed on every square inch of land. Assuredly a route only for reliable multi-engined aircraft, well equipped positively to keep in the air and find the next aerodrome, probably hundreds of miles away. The whole Darwin-Calcutta route is of like manner. It is essentially a matter of getting into the air at each starting point, and reaching the next aero drome with almost complete certainty, intermediate land ings of any nature whatever cannot be contemplated. Soon we pass Penang, apparently a busy port, and witli a very fine aerodrome in course of construction. Alor Star came into view. A small settlement set in a sea of water divided off into thousands upon thousands of little square earth embankments—the Malayan paddv fields. The natives were busy here and there ploughing. A REFUELLING HALT : Astraea made a brief halt on the pretty island settlement of Muntok (about 300 miles from Batavia) to pick up more " Shells." 1148 or rather stirring, the muddy water in the plots, each with, a pair of lazy water buffalo hitched to a wooden plough the beasts surged through the mud at a pace almost imper ceptible. Other natives were busy planting rice. Alor Star aerodrome is a big square of open grass land surrounded by high bunds to keep the water from the surrounding countryside flowing in, and the resulting canal acting as a primitive drainage system when not full of water to overflowing. We were now in the monsoon area and Alor Star had evidently already received its share—we landed in sheets of water, the muddy spray flying over the Astraea, drench ing the cabin windows so that we in the cabin could hardly se- out of them till the machine pulled up at the refuelling point. On the aerodrome were two machines—the K.L.M. F.18 and a smaller Fokker, an F.7, which had flown over from Madang in Sumatra, completing its regular link with the main Dutch Service. The big F.18 was delayed with magneto trouble, and when it finally got away was watched carefully for performance. The time taken to leave the ground was 20 sec, spray flying in all directions, ami the machine showing an inclination to nose down when nego tiating patches of water. Choosing a slightly better take-off run, Prendergast had the Astraea in the air in 16 sec, a truly excellent per formance in exceptionally bad conditions. The run to Bangkok was rather uninteresting. First flat jungle country was flown over, then the usual mud-flanked coastline, and lastly another sea crossing out of sight of land. When the city of Bangkok, capital of Siam, loomed in the distance, we were all pleased, and soon we were circling the King's Palace, a magnificent affair in the centre of the city. Again sheets of spray as we landed along a flagged path, indicating the only usable portion of the ground, and the Astraea was taxied up to the long row of hangars occupied by the Siamese Air Force. Since leaving Singapore that morning we had flown 1,000 miles in exactly 8 hr. flying time. In the environs of Bangkok again, as at Alor Star, there was nothing but water, and roads were scarce. The roads that did exist were all built up and travel appeared mainly to be indulged in by rail or canal. The only con nection between the aerodrome and city is by rail, and unless scheduled trains can be availed of it is necessary to hire a special train. The Siamese airport is a busy place, the Air Force owning about 300 aeroplanes of all sizes and descriptions, many of them being of war vintage. On the day of our arrival the following visitors used the airpon —the French Air Orient Air Mail for Saigon ; the Dutch K.L.M. for Amsterdam ; a Chinese aviator for China ; and the Astraea for Karachi. Surely an international junction ! But owing to the mon soon season to be closed down almost at once for three months. The Siamese capital is a place both interesting and amusing, and it was regrettable a longer stay was impossible. Next morning w<- expected to run into the monsoon and as the best time to cross tli mountains was as early as pos sible, it was early to bed in pre paration for an early call. Th< city has many fine buildings an • barracks, a modern rauVa station, and the Trockidero turned out a first-class hotel. July 14, 1933 , We were up at 3.15 a.m. ria;. breakfast at 4. Caught the excel lent diesel-driven train for tri. aerodrome at 4.50 and got awa. by 6.5 a.m. The K.L.M. machin" had left 15 min. before us, and
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