Evening star., 1933-04-21
PILOTS DEF|ED BAN
NEVEREST FLIGHT.
Second Successful Venture
Made After Orders Not
to Undertake 1t.
BY e. C. SHEPHERD.

b1 T.. L. ShEfnEhD.
By Radio to The Star.
PURNEA, India, April 81 IN. A.
N. A. The second flight over Mount
Everest, which took place Wednesday
participated in by members of the
Houston Everett expedition, may well
be described by an historian of great
achievements as piece of magnificent
INSTRUMENTATION.
Made in uninsured airplanes, and
without authority from home, it was
carried through with the greatest sue.
cess and has yielded results of the
highest scientific value. Two survey
strips. showing the geographical de.
tails of the southern face of Everest
in remarkable clearness, were made
One strip carries right up to the edge
OF the summit and is believed to show
q vertical photograph of the summit
although the machines did not pass
directly over
This photograph was taken while
Flight Lieut.. D. F. Mcintyre was fly
ing towards the summit and at a dis
tance of about 500 yards from it Just
make the exposure the pilot ran up
the nose of his machine at an angle
which he calculated would train the
lens on the summit.
Flight Was Forbidden.
Not only was the flight unauthor-
lied, it had been forbidden. The ex-
peditlon was under orders to return
ana the packing had begun. Pledges
fO Loo
seemed likely to remain unfulfilled. But
the gloom which had settled on the ex-
pedition at the imminent failure of the
serious part of the work was suddenly
relieved by set of condolences.
These condolences presented them
selves as such a complete j.gsaW of op-
portunltleS as to constitute an invita-
tlon rather than temptation. Air
Commodore P. F. NJ Fellowes, leader
OF the expedition. had been bed-ridden
for three days with high temperature
and had consented to a short flight for
cinema purposes provided the machines
were never out of gliding distance of
the fiat country
The weather, broken for 10 days by
thunder and gales, suddenly cleared
The wind strengths were reported as
reasonable. The visibility of Flying Off
Ger Ellison's dawn reconnaissance
proved excellent. The little party warm
ing up for an early flight found itself
at the airdrome alone, with everything
in its favor, with confidence in its
ability born of the experience on the
first flight over Mount Everest, and
with burning desire to seize the last
chance of doing the task the members
OF the expedition had set their hearts
upon.
Pilots Get Ready.
Professionally. the not unexpected de-
cision-since both pilots are Scots-to
disregard orders was taken. There was
not enough oxygen to allow an abortive
flight and then further successful one
The oxygen was not to be turned on
until they had gone far enough to test
the wind strengths by clocks and to
satisfy the pilots that the flight could
be made within the time limits set by
the fuel carried.
Recollections of a week of negotia-
uonS by cable were cast to the kindly
winds which beckoned the machines
toward the mountains. There had been
pleas and refusals arguments, uncom-
promising replies and protests met by
reiterated orders to come home A fine
morning, two magnificent machines
and the small party of determined men
dismissed them.
The tanks were filled full, the survey
cameras installed, oxygen bottles fitted
and the systems tested. Then the
flight began, with never a word to any
one as to its object or destination.
The tale might never have been told
until the products of the flight had to
be shown, for it has been unmistakable
to an observer here that, while the
glory Of making the second fight
meant nothing to these men, the COM
pletion of their scientific task meant
everything. The confession probably
would have accompanied showing Of
the survey strips to the Royal Geo.
graphical Society.
Secret Leaks Out.
When the decision had been taken
tate stepped in to compicate the
secrecy of the plan. Commodore Fell
loves, barely convalescent, made his
way to the airplanes. Another half
hour passed and he began to make in
quiries
Had they taken oxygenP Yes. And
vertical cameras? Yes. And full petrol
tanks? Yes.
Time passed, and with it his anxiety
increased. Presently the men returned
and confessed as little as possible, but
there were survey films to be developed.
lS,
Others were drawing conclusions. too.
The airplanes had been in flight Rumors
OF important photographs began to
filter their way among the local pop
ulace and five hours after the end of
the flight news, based chiefly on sur
mise and consequently inaccurate in i'm
portant details, was being sent far
afield.
The crews of the two planes, for all
their readiness to risk censure in an i'm
portant cause, awoke today to find
themselves objects of fresh congratu-
lation. What gratifies them most is the
fact that Lady Houston's generosity
Gin backing the expedition) has at last
resulted in completely successful ad-
venture.
Personnel of Flight.
Those who took part in the fight
were the Marques of Clydesdale and
Col. L. V. S. Blacker in the Houston
WeStland airplane, and Flight Lieut..
Mcintyre and A. L. Fisher. one of the
Cinematographers of the Gaumont
British Film Corporation, in the West
land-Wallace. Mr.. Fisher believes that
he brought back the finest films of
mountain scenery ever obtained For a
quarter of an hour the Westland-Wa
lace was flying above the level of the
summit of Mount Everest and often no
more than 500 yards from it, and
Fishers camera was running most Of
the time
Col Blacker. chief observer of the
expedition, who also made cinema films,
had brought back a fine collection of
still pictures taken mostly at greater
range than on the first flight and so
giving a better idea of the general
scenery while preserving much OF fine
detail. Twenty-nine OF these photographs
are already on their way to England
and include one of seven taken by Mr..
Fisher which shows the Houston West
land machine over the mountain. The
tip of Everest can be seen below the
airplane.