NEW AIR ROUTE

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22109, 3 June 1937, Page 10

NEW AIR ROUTE

Auckland-wellington SERVICE MINISTER APPROVES DATE fob start The Minister for Transport OheHon R. Semple) has approved of Satura y. June 26. as the date for t een Union Airways new servi Auckland and “JK wm b“put Into operation. The Mmister’s approval, together w schedule of fares and the tim were released luding A two-way daily service Sundays and holidays, will be pro vSd by the L““=td E LT Sft bare now being assembled at the sonvitie air base, “S all-metal machines are fitted constant-speed propellers an * cay a crew of two pilots with comp - dual control, and 10 addition, they have ample ca P acl £ for freight and mails. They a P able of a speed of 210 nuies an ou and cruise at 185 miles an hour. Thu the trip between Auckland and Sfngton including stops ol 10 minutes each at New Plymouth and al “ ton North, will occuply only tnrec h °The air-liners are equipped with two-way “fjraph and telc_ S installed to Ply X I mes Other direction-finding SSpmTnfis sbe 1-S.l “ ““ aS ,T Strand ireKt rates ftr the new, service are:- Freight and excess baggage Fares, per lb Auckland- .. „, 6d New Plymouth £3 bQ Auckland- qd Palmerston Nth. £5 yn Aucklanid- Wellington £6 is New PlymouthPalmerston Nth. £2 6d New Plymouth- M Wellington £3/10/- 8d Palmerston Nth.- . Wellington £l/10/- 6d The time-table for the south-bound machine is:—Leave Auckland noon, arrive New Plymouth 1.4 p.m., leave New Plymouth 1.14 p.m., arrive Palmerston North 2.12 p.m., leave Palmerston North 2.22 p.m., arrive Wellington 3 p.m. For north-bound flights the schedule is:—Leave Wellington noon, arrive Palmerston North 12.38 p.m., . leave Palmerston North 12.55 p.m., arrive New Plymouth 1.46 p.m., leave New Plymouth 1.56 p.m., arrive Auckland 3 p.m. ASSEMBLING NEW AEROPLANES RAPID PROGRESS AT HOBSONVILLE [THE PRESS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, June 2. Rapid progress is being made with the assembling of the two Lockheed Electra monoplanes belonging to Union Airways at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base at Hobsonville. The work is being done by a staff under the direction of ‘Mr D. E. Hixson, a Lockheed engineer, who accompanied the machines to New Zealand, and Mr L. Mangham, chief ground engineer to Union Airways. „ Speed in assembling is not the aim of the engineers. Their work is characterised by the utmost thoroughness, which is essential in preparing machines for commercial service. Each detail is being given individual attention, and before either of the machines takes the air thorough ground tests will be made. When the ground staff is satisfied, the American pilot, Mr Move W. Stephens, jun., will take over, and will carry out complete flying tests before formally handing over the monoplanes to Union Airways. ■