This Day in History: 1924-04-16

WGCDR Stanley James Goble and FLGOFF Ivor Ewing McIntyre continued their around-Australia flight in Fairey IIID A10-3. At 7.30 a.m. on 16 April 1924 the rain cleared slightly and they took off for Thursday Island. In Princess Charlotte Bay they passed the S.S. “Eastern” which greeted the fliers with several blasts on the ship’s whistle. From this point the conditions deteriorated; all the way to Cape Sidmouth they flew through heavy rain. Goble could hardly see McIntyre in the front cockpit, and the Fairey was becoming very difficult to control; once the wheel was wrenched from McIntyre’s hands. They force landed on the open sea and after discussion decided to try to climb over the clouds, but this proved hopeless as the clouds were a solid mass. They then headed out to sea and flew a compass course up the coast. Reconnaissance of the coast was negligible as it was sighted only a few times. On arrival at Thursday Island they found a big squall hanging almost over the town, and had to dive around it to make a landing. Arrangements had been made by the mechanic. Corporal Gurr, with a local pearler, Mr. Hocking, to use his boat slipway for repairs. For the next five days the rain fell continuously. The enforced halt gave the crew a chance to have the machine overhauled and to have it patched up generally. The floats were found to be leaking again, and would have to be replaced, necessitated lifting the 2½-ton aircraft to slip the new floats underneath. As there were no cranes or derricks on the island, two special sheerlegs, 50 ft. long and eight inches square, were erected. It took 1½ days to get them into position; then the aircraft was lifted by block and tackle and the new floats fitted. It was Impossible to swing the new compass in the pilot’s cockpit and to correct the deviations as there were no turntables available and the tides were too strong. As Goble had the master compass, he tied a pair of string reins to McIntyre’s arms and guided him from the rear cockpit. Source: The First Round-Australia Flight, 1924 by Neville Parnell, AHSA Journal, vol 6, no 12, December 1965