Quick 727 visit

Press, 24 September 1980, Page 1

Quick 727 visit

By

LES BLOXHAM

Christchurch was given a sneak look yesterday at the type of aircraft Trans Australia Airlines plans to use later in. the year on its new service between Christchurch and Hobart. The latest addition to the airline’s fleet of 12 Boeing 727 s made two low sweeps over the city before touching down at the airport for a brief refuelling stop at 12.40 p.m. The $l7 million aircraft, on its delivery flight to Melbourne from the Boeing factory at Seattle, flew direct to Christchurch from Pago Pago. Mr P. J. Nelson, the airline’s sales manager in New Zealand, was optimistic that approval would be given for the first' of the weekly flights to begin, as planned, bn Saturday, November 20. The aircraft, which will carry Qantas flight numbers (QF39I and QF392), are scheduled to arrive from Hobart each Saturday at 3.25 p.m., and depart again at 4.35 p.m. Yesterday’s brief visit by the 727 (200 series), was watched with interest by several senior executives of Mount Cook Airlines which also proposes a trans-Tasman service with this type of aircraft. “Our Mount Cook lily is covered over by the T on the tail,” quipped the airline’s general manager (Mr M. L. Corner), as the gleaming jet taxied to the terminal.

Two senior T.A.A. pilots, Captain King and Captain R. Baker, were in command of the aircraft. It landed with ease into a stiff noriwester on runway 29, which is shorter than the main runway, using barely two-thirds of the available length.