TASMAN AIR SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25629, 19 October 1948, Page 3

TASMAN AIR SERVICE

DECISION TO BUY SOLENTS • REASONS GIVEN BY COMPANY Six reasons why his company was buying Solent flying-boats have been given by the assistant-general manager o f Tasman Empire Airways, Ltd. (Mr j. W. Veale) in a statement. Listing these reasons in order of safety, comfort, speed, and cost, Mr Veale says:— “(1) Over the trans-Tasman route the Solent will provide a standard of safety unequailed by any other aircraft. For normal cruising, only 50 per cent, of the available engine power will be utilised. Therefore, the Solent will have a tremendous reserve. It will be able to lend at its ‘all-up weight.’ That is to say, if it should be found necessary to land immediately after take-off with a full load of passengers and cargo and while all petrol tanks were full, it would not be necessary to jettison fuel. Most modern landplanes cannot do this. The Solent lands at a slightly lower speed than .most landplanes and the element of risk on alighting is correspondingly reduced “(2) The spacious interior will enable us to provide passenger comfort which we could not offer in land-based aircraft. Individual cabins and ample space on two decks provide the last word in comfort for 44 passengers. Passenger convenience has also been considered. Passengers prefer to arrive at and depart from airports which are handy to cities and accessible by ordinary means of transport. “(3) The cruising speed of the Solent will be considerably more than 200 miles an hour. Trans-Tasman flights will take no more than six and a half hours. On the South African route, 8.0.A.C. Solents, which are not sa fast as those on order by Tasman Empire Airways, have regularly beaten the records of modern landplanes. We are aware of the fact that some new American aircraft cruises at 265 miles an hour, but what is the point of saving an hour in the air only to lose an hour and a quarter travelling to aerodromes situated 15 and 25 miles from the cities they serve? HoteLto-hotel times for Solent passengers compare very favourably with those offered by any modern landplane. “4. There is no air route in the world better suited to flying-boats than the Tasman. It is entirely transoceanic and both existing terminals are served by excellent marine airports. “More Economic Proposition” “5. The Solent is a more economic proposition than any available landplane. The cost of transporting passengers and staff between cities and conveniently situated flying-boat bases is, in our case, many thousands of pounds a year less than the cost of transporting them between cities and existing landplane bases. "6. Our faith in the British aircraft industry and our belief in British enterprise naturally lead us to prefer British aircraft. We hold that, while a thoroughly efficient and competitive British aircraft particularly suited to tne trans-Tasman route is available there is little justification for spending dollars on the purchase of American aircraft. Mr Veale said that route expansion by his organisation would keep apace with aerodrome development in New Zealand. ‘‘The company will not be slow in making application for route licences should aerodromes suited to modern land-type aircraft become available, he said. “Charged as it is with the responsibility of providing a service to international travellers, Tasman Empire Airways will fulfil present obligations with the Solent flying-boats and later possibly by the use of both landplanes and flyingboats if this can be done economically and if suitable airports are available.”