STRATO-LINERS?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 55, 6 March 1943, Page 6

STRATO-LINERS?

FLYING OF TASMAN

CAPTAIN BURGESS' VIEWS

"Anyone who makes a forecast about the future of aviation is foolish," said Captain J. W. Burgess, chief pilot for Tasman Empire Airways since its inception in 1939, who is to take up a position with the British Overseas Airways in Baltimore. U.S.A., in an interview to-day. Captain Burgess, however, offered his own views and hopes regarding the development of the Tasman service.

"It will largely be a choice between flying-boats and strato-liners. with pressure-sealed cabins, flvi'ng at 20.000 ft to 25,000 ft. At present, you know, we lumber along through bad weather, which naturally slows down our speed. But up in the sub-strato-sphere the rarefied air makes for faster travelling and is consequently very practical for carrying passengers and mails. Flying-boats will probably develop into freighters.

"With strato-liners our present Tasman travelling time of eight to nine hours would be reduced to four. Strato-liners have been used overseas for some years."

Devotion to'his own "baby," the flying-boat, was, however, revealed by Captain Burgess. "I would really like to see flying-boats develop," he said. "It all depends on the progress made with engines. If the

power plant can be developed sufficiently, it can carry any weight, and it may be possible to push up flyingboats into the sub-stratosphere. I think bigger flying-boats will be made." Flying-Boats' Safety The; greater safety of flying-boats when landing and taking off, as compared to land-planes, was mentioned by Captain Burgess. Flying-boats, he pointed out, had a wider expanse on which to land, and more alternative bases. If a flying-boat was coming to Auckland, for instance, it could land on the Waitemata, the Manukau or out at sea.

Land-planes, on the other hand, were limited to a narrow ' runway, at the end of which might be trees or ditches, and they could not land anywhere they liked. Auckland harbour, he said,' was an ideal flyingboat base, because of its space. Sydney was more congested, though it had adjacent stretches of water which were suitable. As regards "silent developments" in aviation during the war, Captain Burgess said that people were more likely to be surprised at the speed of planes after the war than anything else.