LOST OPPORTUNITIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 206, 31 August 1936, Page 9

LOST OPPORTUNITIES.

AVIATION IN DOMINION

MR. STANNAGE'S VIEWS.

According to Mr. J. S. W. Stannage,, who addressed Auckland Rotarians to-, day, a great tragedy occurred when the j New Zealand Government failed to take , advantage of the offer of Pan-American Airways to link up with this countiy, as it thereby delayed by years the proper development of aviation in the Dominion. He considered it ridiculous that in such a matter the Government should have subordinated its interests to those ot another company. Distasteful though the fact was, said Mr. Stannage, he had j to emphasise that the United States was 1 easily the world's leader in aviation and j

radio development. . Referring to the remarkable services | controlled by Pan-American Airways he mentioned especially the direct conncc- j tion by express service between L.os Angeles and New York. He also detailed the' methods employed in serving inter-, mediate localities. Through radio, these services were conducted quite indepen- | dent of weather conditions. | Although New Zealand had definitely i lost its opportunity for connection by ~ air with the outside world there were, still the aspects of internal, and possibly j of a trans-Tasman service. In connection with the former lie considered the Union Company was to be congratu-1 latcd upon its foresight in establishing,

a service. . , ,„jl New Zealand, he said, was not a bad country from a flying point of view. ; None of the weather conditions were worse than those encountered in some parts of U.S.A. In regard to radiodirectional finding the Government was making a good move in taking the mat ter up? It' was taking over the system that the company was at present using with the object of bringing it up to date for all purposes. In regard to defence the speaker was satisfied that New Zealand would not be attacked from the air. If any nation lifted a finger in that connection he felt sure America, with its unrivalled air fleet, would step in to New Zealand s However, the New Zealand Government should, from a defence point ot view, secure the assistance of qualified pilots in the Dominion. Otherwise they I would be forced to drop out of training ! and would not be available when needed. ' The Dominion, concluded the speaker, was at present one of the most backward countries in the world from the point of view of aviation, and was suffering economically and in other ways 1 through neglect of lost opportunities.