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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0481.PDF
9 March 1950 319 F R EN FQUATO RIAL I Approximate route taken by the Hiller helicopter. Shading indicates contours (sea-level areas white) ; lakes are shown in black. over the Banningville air strip, and as we landed the whole population was out to greet us (40 whites and 1,000 natives). After taking some pictures and refuelling we set out for Inongo, 132 miles away. We had set our course 40 deg east and picked up the first emergency landing field as shown on our map, 20 minutes out of Banningville. At this time we were passing over grassy plains and were flying at an altitude of 200ft, and could easily see the giraffe and antelope herds below. After crossing the Fimi River we noticed a settlement and an air strip which was not shown on our map, but proceeded on course over swamps for approximately 20 miles, when the landscape changed to one of timber and tropical palms. We flew over this for nearly an hour, when we noticed a grassy spot large enough to sit down on ; so down we went. The first remark Bark made was " where are we?" After studying our maps for ten minutes we decided that the air- port we had seen over an hour before was Kutu, which is at the fork of the Fimi and Lukenie rivers. If this was true we were far off course and were heading into a stretch of wilderness that extended for 250 miles. Inongo is located on Lake Leopold II, a stretch of water approximately seven miles wide by seventy long, and we felt that if we were on course our flying time from Banning- ville should have put us within sight of the lake (visibility was bad). We finally arrived at the conclusion that our compass was off and decided (after putting in some reserve fuel) to fly 15 minutes north and, if we did not sight the lake, to hit a course back to the air strip that we thought was Kutu. We did not sight the lake, and finally turned back. After flying for about an hour over jungle forest we came to an opening, where I spotted a native shack at the edge of the forest. I motioned Bark to set down. He hesitated at first, then swung around and landed within 50 yards of the timber in the clearing. Well, we had just turned off the engine when about fifty natives started to come out of the forest from every direc- tion. About twelve of them had eight-foot spears with steel heads as sharp as razors. They all stood at a distance until a tall native dressed in short pants-and a brown felt hat came out of the village and walked over to the heli- copter. (I had seen all this on the movies but I never thought it would happen to me.) He turned out to be the chief, and after ten minutes of signs and drawings on the ground I gathered from his diagrams where Kutu was. He pointed in a direction that was at a 45 degree angle from our course, but I decided that he should know his own jungle. I had become so absorbed in getting information from him that I forgot all about Bark, and thought that he was at my side, only to turn around and find him sitting in the helicopter with his finger on the starting button. He gave me a wink, and I started backing towards the ship, but just as I started to step in the chief grabbed me by the arm and all the others closed in on the helicopter. Hew as jabbering away in his native tongue and I finally arrived at the conclusion that he wanted a present, so I reached into my pocket and handed him a ioo-franc bill. He took it and made motions that he wanted smokes, so Bark gave him two cigarettes. Thinking that ended the conference, I again started to get in, but once more he grabbed my arm; then he sent a native into the village, and the man soon returned with three eggs, which the chief presented to me. Then he shook hands, called all the women and children from the village, motioned his men back and gave us the high sign to proceed. I grabbed my camera, took a movie, and off we went. I do not want to convey the impression that these natives are unfriendly, but, just the same, it gives you a funny feeling to be one of two white men alone out in the jungle, not Bull elephant—with broken tusk—resents the helicopter's low-altitude intrusion on his domain in Park Albert, Belgian Congo.
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