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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0001 .PDF
FLIGHT, JANUARY 4 1934 > •<?• TANKING : Filling up the " Fox Moth " of M. Guy Hansez with " Shell." (FLIGHT Photo.) MILES0 25 50 75 100 125 150 0 50 100 150 200 '50KILOMETRES DAKHLA OASIS THE CIRCUIT OF THE OASES : The first day's flying took the competitors via Assiut, Oases Junction, and Kharga to Dakhla, where the night was spent. The return flight was made next day via Farafra and Baharia. difficulty in reaching the " Swift," and of the extreme coldat that altitude, decided to take off with Hassek Eff. in the 626 as well as his own passenger. Despite the nature ofthe ground this take-off was successfully accomplished, and for the present at any rate the " Swift " wasabandoned. This incident shows that a forced landing could have had serious consequences. Had, for example,several machines come down, they would have had to be dealt with in rotation, and their rescue, therefore, possiblydelayed quite considerably. The other mishap was of a very minor nature, andonly consisted of a competitor, M. Fremont, standing his Caudron " Phalene " on its nose, and damaging the air-screw at Baharia. A new airscrew was flown to him the following morning, and he returned to Almaza withoutdifficulty. The Circuit was arrangted to start on Wednesday,December 20, but Egypt's weather, which has a name for constancy, decided for this occasion to be thoroughlyfeminine. It was capricious to a degree previously un- known, and very nearly, so to speak, wrecked the wholeparty. Everything was ready, practically all the aeroplaneshad been put through their preliminary tests, but at 7.0 a.m. it was evident that a Hamsin wind was doing itsbest to make flying conditions very bad. The start was, therefore, delayed for one hour. At the end of thatperiod, however, the wind was worse, and the desert dust was rising everywhere. Flying in weather of that kindcan, besides being very unpleasant, be dangerous, so the authorities had reluctantly to cancei everything for thatday. The following morning, Thursday, the weather showeda better temper, though it was still blowing fairly hard, and from the south-west, a direction which all the visitorswere constantly assured was almost unheard of at that time of year. Anyhow, it was fit for Hying, and at7.30 a.m. the first machine, No. 4, M. Bedel's Caudron " Phalene," painted in brilliant blue and orange, took off.Incidentally the colouring of the French aeroplanes was a feature of the meeting. Those which have, during thepast few years, visited England, have for the most part been of the more sombre hues favoured by our ownpilots, but these Caudrons and Farmans, coming in most cases from Algeria and North Africa, looked more like aflock of African macaws than anything else. Bright and cheerful, it is true, but not artistic. Certain of the aeroplanes listed last week did not start REDUCING TAXYING : A rubber-tyredrefuelling wagon. (FLIGHT Photo.) Shell LOOKING AFTER COMPETITORS : The cheerful staff of the Socony-Vacuum ready for attending to the replenishing of tanks. (FLIGHT Photo.)
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