U.S.-N.Z. TRIP BY ELECTRA

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28451, 4 December 1957, Page 16

U.S.-N.Z. TRIP BY ELECTRA

Arrival Expected At i End Of Month 'J 1 I

Tians-Island Airways’ Lockheed Electra which is being flown out from the United States, should reach Christchurch late this month—probably after Christmas. Mr Brian Chadwick, the comi pany s chief pilot, said this in a i letter to 'The Press.” He is living the Electra, which was bought in Los Angeles, with Mr George McLatchie. the chairman, as observer. “We left Kansas City, Missouri, j two days ago, in snow and ice, j and are now basking in sub-| tropical Miami, after an unevent- I ful flight of 1300 miles odd,” he s said writing on November 20. “Because of the delay in taking j delivery of the aircraft, and the ■

very poor weather at present over the eastern United States and the north Atlantic. I decided that we should have to fly south and cross the south Atlantic from Natal, in Brazil, to Freetown. Sierra Leone. Programme ;< We will leave here tomorrow for Port au Prince (Haiti*. Martinique, Trinidad, Cayenne and Natal, Brazil. Then to Fernando de Noronha. a small island off the Brazilian coast, to refuel, and then the long 1800-mile crossing to Freetown. “We shall men fly by way of Accra, Lagos. Kano. Fort l*amy tin French Equatorial Africa*, and Khartoum to Aden and Karachi. Then through to Delhi, Calcutta. | Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta. Bali. Timor, Darwin, Cairns, Coffs Harbour. and Norfolk Island to Christchurch.”

ITie Electra, said Mr Chadwick, carried 600 gallons of fuel, and could cruise for 15 hours. He expected the south Atlantic crossing to take between 10 and 11 hours. “I do not yet know how much delay we shall experience because of having to obtain visas and permission to fly over various countries, but I do not expect tn reach Christchurch until late December. probably after Christ-