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The Houston Everest Expedition Gets Under Way

THE HOUSTON-EVEREST FLIGHT: Members of the Expedition set off from Heston on
Thursday of last week to fly to Purnea, whence the actual flight over Mount Everest will start

Six members of the Houston Mount Everest expedition left England by air on the morning of Thursday, February 16, Lt. Col. L. V. S. Blacker, the chief observer of the expedition, left Croydon by Imperial Airways for Karachi. Air Commodore and Mrs. Fellowes, the Marquis of Clydesdale, FIt Lt. D. F. McIntyre, Mr. C.H Hughes, the engineer, and Mr. Colston Shepherd, special correspondent of The Times, left Heston at 9.30 in three small aeroplanes. Lord Clydesdale is the chief pilot of the expedition. and is the squadron leader commanding No. 602 (City of Glasgow) (Bomber) Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force. The second pilot, Flt.Lt Mclntyre commands a flight in the same squadron, but he has had the rather unique experience for an A.A.F officer of having been posted to a regular squadron for a period. In this case the distinction was all the more gratifying because the squadron to which he was attached was the famous No 12 B.S., which flies " Harts." The sinews of the expedition have been very sportingly provided by Lady Houston, who had previously earned the gratitude of the country by bearing the expenses of the High Speed Flight in the last Schneider contest. Air Commodore Fellowes, who leads the expedition, has had a varied career in the Royal Air Force, but will be best remembered for his work as Director of Airship Development.

In the group above are from left to right, Mr. Shepherd, Aviation Correspondent of the "Times"
FIt.Lt.McIntyre, Air Cdre, Fellowes, the Marquis of Clydesdale, and Mr Hughes, engineer.

Before the start messages wishing good luck to the expedition were received from Lord Londonderry, Secretary of State for Air, and from Lady Houston. The Air Commodore led the flight in a "Puss Moth " lent to the expedition by Messrs. J. S. Fry & Sons, and Mrs. Fellowes travelled with him. Lord Clydesdale piloted a " Fox Moth.." in which were Mr. Shepherd and Mr Hughes. Flt. Lt. McIntyre took the luggage in Lord Clydesdales " Gipsy III Moth ."
The route of the flight will be over France and along the Mediterranean coast to Naples, then across Sicily to Tunisia in North Africa, eastwards to Cairo, Baghdad, Basra, and down the Persian shore of the Persian Gulf to Karachi. There the two Westland aeroplanes which are being sent out by sea will be erected, and the party will then fly on to their base at Purnea ill Bihar, which lies at the base of the Himalayas almost due South of Mount Everest-and then, to business!

The three machines arrived safely at Lyons on Thursday afternoon, having stopped en route at Le Bourget. Next morning they proceeded to Sarzana, near Spezia, and the following day, February 18, they reached Naples. From here they flew to Catania on February 19; but were unable to proceed to Tunis next day, as planned, owing to unfavourable weather conditions.

(From FLIGHT, FEBRUARY 23, 1933)