TWO TASMAN FLIGHTS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29067, 2 December 1959, Page 16

TWO TASMAN FLIGHTS

Electra Takes . 71 Hours

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 1. In nine hours and a half today, a party of New Zealanders travelled from Auckland to Sydney, stayed there for two hours, and flew back. Some, politicians and business directors, attended the call of officialdom. A party of newspapermen went swimming at Bondi beach, where hundreds were revelling in the surf. It was a full, but restfully luxurious day. It was the first return flight of the new Tasman Empire Airways Lockheed Electra from Auckland to Sydney. Sydney had not seen the T.E.A.L. Electra before. The turquoise and white Electra took three hours 55 minutes to fly to Sydney against a 50-miles-an-hour head wind.. It was making 385 miles an' hour. It flew home at 400 miles an hour, taking three hours 40 minutes. The Electra took off from Whenuapai at 11 a.m. It climbed to 18,000 feet. In the rear, where first-class passenger? sat, including the Minister in charge of Civil Aviation (Mr Mathison) and Mrs Mathison, the PostmasterGeneral (Mr Moohan), the retiring Mayor of Auckland (Mr K. N. Buttle) and Mrs Buttle, and Sir Leonard Isitt, chairman of the board of directors of T.E.A.L., and Lady Isitt, there was little more noise than a hum.

When the plane landed, eight Maori residents of Sydney in flax skirts advanced to make a traditional challenge. The official party went into the airport terminal building for a buffet lunch and a series of speeches. The rest of the party were whipped out 10 miles to Bondi beach for a swim. “Now that I’ve travelled the Tasman in the plane,” said Sir Leonard Isitt back at Whentiapai, “I’m satisfied. We’ve got a good aircraft.”