TRIAL FLIGHT TO AMERICA

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22796, 23 August 1939, Page 10

TRIAL FLIGHT TO AMERICA

SUGGESTED TRIP FOR AO-TEA-ROA SURVEY OF ISLAND BASES AS ALTERNATIVE (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTRIOHT.) SYDNEY, August 22. The aviation writer of the “Sydney Morning Herald” states that aviation authorities in Sydney believe that the flying-boat Ao-tea-roa, now on its way from Southampton to Sydney and Auckland, could be more usefully employed on a survey of possible island bases throughout the Pacific, than on the suggested trial flight between Auckland and America, a route already surveyed. SUGGESTION NOT CONFIRMED FLYING-BOAT REACHES SINGAPORE AUCKLAND, August 22. No official confirmation is given to the message from Sydney which implies that the Empire flying-boat Ao-tea-roa is likely to make a trial flight from Auckland to the United States. Several survey flights will be made after the Ao-tea-roa’s arrival at Auckland, but no information is available regarding a Pacific exploratory flight. ' With more than 8000 miles of its journey from Southampton covered the Ao-tea-roa is now at Singapore, where a two-day stop is being made to enable an engine check to be undertaken. The flying-boat arrived at Singapore a day ahead of schedule and is expected to leave for Sourabaya to-morrow.