▁this ▁time ▁Ro ose vel t ▁was ▁reported ▁in ▁C airo ▁for ▁several ▁days , ▁at ▁which ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁major . ▁Vari ous ▁press ▁reports ▁touched ▁ob liqu ely ▁on ▁American ▁air ▁surve ill ance ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁and ▁noted ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁president ’ s ▁son . ▁The ▁aircraft ▁was ▁also ▁reported ▁operating ▁out ▁of ▁Kh art ou m ▁in ▁the ▁Ang lo - E gypt ian ▁Sud an , ▁Bath urst ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁G amb ia , ▁the ▁Fir estone ▁plant ation ▁in ▁Liber ia ▁( the ▁only ▁air field ▁there ), ▁Ma id ug uri ▁in ▁Niger ia , ▁and ▁especially ▁Fort ▁Lam y ▁in ▁French ▁Equ atorial ▁Africa ▁( now ▁Ch ad ), ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁already ▁Free ▁French ▁territory . ▁ ▁The ▁aircraft ▁was ▁intercept ed ▁on ▁occasion ▁but ▁was ▁saved ▁by ▁its ▁extreme ▁alt itude ▁of ▁over ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁feet . ▁Within ▁a ▁few ▁weeks , ▁however , ▁it ▁was ▁w reck ed ▁and ▁un fly able . ▁By ▁early ▁May ▁Major ▁Ro ose vel t ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁bringing ▁back ▁“ 1 8 , 0 0 0 ▁pl ates ” ▁and ▁“ they ▁photograph ed ▁everything ▁they ▁went ▁after .” ▁His ▁mother ▁wrote ▁to ▁a ▁friend , ▁" Al most ▁had ▁to ▁come ▁down ▁in ▁the ▁desert ▁the ▁last ▁day . ▁One ▁engine ▁nearly ▁dropped ▁off ▁ 8 5 0 ▁miles ▁from ▁base ▁over ▁the ▁desert ▁but ▁it ▁fro ze ▁and ▁hung ▁by