LONG AIR ROUTE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24868, 7 May 1946, Page 4

LONG AIR ROUTE

—• — R.N.Z.A.F. SERVICE TO JAPAN MAILS FOR NEW ZEALAND TROOPS (P.A.) AUCKLAND. May. 6. One of the world’s longest air routes, on which the same aircraft and crew complete the whole journey without relief, is now being flown weekly on a regular service basis by crews and planes of the No. 41 (Transport) Squadron, R.NZ.A.F., between Auckland and Iwa Kune, southern Honshu, Japan. The return journey, which is spread over three weeks, involves flying 12,448 miles, and the service enables mail from the Dominion, two tons at a time, to be delivered to New Zealanders in the British Commonwealth Force of Occupation in eight days. Four round trips have already been completed by Dakotas of the squadron, and three other aircraft are now moving over the route from Auckland. They fly in turn to Norfolk Island, Brisbane, Cloncurry. Darwin, Morotai, Lao* g, in the northern Philippines, Naha at Okinawa, and Iwa Kune. On each flight both crews and aircraft experience a change in temperature approaching 100 degrees, ranging from the winter cold of Japan to the tropical heat of Morotai. Schedules have been well maintained, in spite of the long distance involved ana various difficulties along the route. One aircraft was delayed for four days at Okinawa because of a typhoon which missed the island, but which came near enough to bring a wind that ripped iron roofs .from buildings and made it necessary for the Dakota to be weighted down with sandbags to keep it on the ground. Nearly two tons of mail has been carried on each north-bound aircraft, providing a full load for the Dakotas. It is mainly letter mail, with an occasional urgent parcel, but there have been no passengers for Japan and no freight. On the southward runs the aircraft have been less heavily laden, the usual quantity of mail carried being about 3000 pounds. Passengers brought back to New Zealand so far have included the Army guards sent from the Dominion with the Japanese prisoners of war who were repatriated. They were encountered at Morotai and were given passage in two of the squadron’s Dakotas. The strength of the No. 41 Squadron has recently been reduced to the basic number of crews required adequately to maintain the service between New Zealand and Japan, and the crews have been handpicked because of the possible difficulties dhd major responsibilities involved in flying to so remote a destination. Before being sent over the route each crew is briefed thoroughly by the officer commanding, Wing Commander L. H. Parry, A.FC.. who commanded the survey flight, and by signals’and navigation leaders. The briefing occupies up to an hour and • half. Subjects on which crews are given jhe latest information include redio navigational aids, airmanship, meteorological details, and airfield peculiarities. Every effort is made to tell crew members everything possible about the route and likely conditions before they begin the flight, and the careful preparation has been reflected in the uneventful journeys so f*r made.