TRIP TO CHATHAM ISLANDS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25091, 24 January 1947, Page 5

TRIP TO CHATHAM ISLANDS

SUNDERLAND FLYINGBOAT ROUTINE FLIGHT TO CHECK ENGINES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 23. The Tokomaru, a Sunderland of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, which flew to the Chatham Islands last May, will make another flight to the group on Friday, taking officials of the Public Works Department and the Department of Internal Affairs. Under the command of Squadron Leader R. J. Makgill, A.F.C., officer commanding the Sunderland SquadF on \ the Tokomaru will leave xAuckland at 6.30 a.m., and is due to land at r tU an ? Bay at 9 o’clock to pick up Wellington passengers The Sunderland will then take off on the 480-mile flight to the Chathams, which will take about three hours Mail for the islands will be carried, and some Chatham Island passengers may be brought back when retu rns on Monday. The Tokomaru has undergone a major overhaul and the trip to the Gnathams is a routine flight to check its engines.

It was announced yesterday that the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser), the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W Ein P % rry) f a Z IC !, Mr T - H McCombs. M.P. for Lyttelton, would be passengers on the aircraft. Mr McCombs sa!d last evening that although the Prime Minister, Mr Parry and himself had proposed visiting the islands when an Air Force aircraft was available for the trip, they would not be going on Friday. The Air Force had listed them for the trip on Friday, but had failed to advise them of the opportunity.