HARBOUR AND BRIDGE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 305, 26 December 1944, Page 4

HARBOUR AND BRIDGE

While not disputing Flight-Lieu, tenant Canavan's undoubted expert ence with flying boat operations, I. feel that there is a great deal more to the question of the possible menace a Harbour bridge would pre. sent to aviation than has so far come to light. It seems more than likely that, except possibly for a few short - - years, the flying boat as a commer-'" ; cial aircraft will soon be superceded' by the many excellent British and ' American land types already in ■ operation or on the draughting, boards. In this connection it is significant that at the present time no American overseas or domestic airline operator proposes to utilise flying boats on post-war routes, and that those operating such types do . not intend to replace them. Even now, owing to the difficulty of maintaining complete surface clearance of the upper harbour, vital to foulweather landings, and to the fact that only under certain favourable weather conditions is the use of the area west of Mechanics' Bay, with its many obstacles, feasible for such hazardous Operations, the xegtoaiin^.:l dispute would still have To yield Lhe large, landlocked and utttf&T : jstructed reach bounded by Waiheke—island, Buckland's and While commercial flying boats still'" ase the port of Auckland, this area, ilear of the ever-increasing harbour . traffic, will probably remain the . >nly large and sheltered landing irea affording an equally good loweyel approach from all directions vnich can be relied upon in true. :mergency operations. UNIMPRESSED. M