Air Service Across the Tasman

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22519, 29 September 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

Air Service Across the Tasman

Next January, exactly 11 years after Captain G. Hood and Flight Lieutenant J. L. Moricricll made their unsuccessful attempt to fly the Tasman, the flying-boat Cabot will probably begin the trans-Tasman air mail and, passenger service for T.E.A.L., Tasman Empire Airways Ltd.

Since the Southern Cross battled over the Tasman in 14 hours 25 minutes in September, 1928, with

Squadron Leader C. E. KingsfordSmith at the controls, aircraft has advanced tremendously; but that first Tasman, flight was the great achievement of a very great pilot, who worked hard to inaugurate a regular service across the Tasman. Flying-boats similar to the Centaurus, which landed at Lyttelton this year, will be used by the new service. There, will be eight of them built by Short; Bros., at Rochester, England; they will have a flying range of 2000 miles; they will carry 12 passengers and a mail load Of 50001 b. (The Cabot can be

loaded to a gross weight of 53,0001 b —12,5001 b more than the standard Empire flying-boat, and they may be fuelled in mid-air.) Their equipment will include automatic pilots, searchlights, and wireless apparatus similar to that used on Atlantic flights. The crew on each flying-boat will be. five, including a captain, a first officer, a wireless operator, flight clerk, and steward. As these air-

craft are C class flying-boats it is possible that their, names will all begin with C, as do all the others belonging to the fleet. The length of each machine, .is 88ft, with a wing-span of' 114 ft. The height of the rudder tail is 27ft 9in. The same flying-boats- will be” used on the trans-Atlantic flights as well as over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. The Cabot, before •crossing the Tasman, will make two return flights between England and New York by way of Foynes, Ireland, Botwood, New Foundland, and Montreal. Canada.

The service will be controlled jointly by United Kingdom, Australian, and New Zealand interests, with headquarters in New Zealand. Ultimately the service will be from Sydney to Auckland, and then to Wellington, but in the early stages of development Auckland will be the landing base for New Zealand, as it may be some time before the base at Wellington is ready. Plans are being considered for an up-to-date base at Auckland, complete

with all the necessary modern wireless equipment. Till arrangements be finished a* Wellington there will be two flights each way every week; later when Wellington is ready there will be three two-way flights each week between Australia and New Zealand. The Tasman air service is a continuation of the Southampton-Syd-ney mail and passenger service,- and has the co-operation of Imperial Airways, England, Qantas Airways, Australia, and Union Airways, New Zealand. —T.T.