▁may ▁have ▁been ▁across ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Des ert ▁where ▁bl inding ▁sand st orm s ▁sometimes ▁rise ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁feet ▁and ▁huge ▁k ite ▁birds ▁men ace ▁aer ial ▁navigation . ▁Not ▁much ▁easier ▁was ▁the ▁ 2 , 2 1 0 - mile ▁jump ▁from ▁Al la hab ad ▁to ▁Singapore , ▁with ▁its ▁Bay ▁of ▁Beng al ▁water ▁hop ▁nearly ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁the ▁North ▁Atlantic . ▁To ▁the ▁participants ▁in ▁the ▁race , ▁Lloyd ' s ▁of ▁London ▁gave ▁a ▁ 1 - in - 1 2 ▁chance ▁of ▁being ▁killed '. ▁Between ▁Singapore ▁and ▁Dar win , ▁Scott ▁and ▁Black ▁suffered ▁a ▁failure ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Com et ' s ▁two ▁engines . ▁They ▁just ▁made ▁it ▁to ▁Dar win . ▁The ▁" U iver " ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁aircraft ▁to ▁arrive ▁in ▁Dar win ▁and ▁was ▁well ▁position ed ▁to ▁take ▁out ▁both ▁the ▁speed ▁and ▁the ▁hand ic ap ▁sections ▁of ▁the ▁race ▁should ▁the ▁Com et ▁be ▁delayed ▁for ▁rep airs ▁or ▁come ▁to ▁gr ief . ▁Real ist ically , ▁though , ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁that ▁the ▁" U iver " ▁reached ▁Dar win , ▁the ▁" G ros ven or ▁House " ▁Com et ▁was ▁well ▁on ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁Melbourne ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁chance ▁of ▁catch ing ▁up ▁in ▁normal ▁circumstances . ▁Scott ▁and ▁Black ▁knew ▁of ▁the ▁increased ▁risk ▁occasion ed ▁by ▁engine ▁issues , ▁but ▁decided ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁risk ▁and ▁fly ▁on