FIRST SURVEY TRIP WITHIN A WEEK

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 143, 13 March 1937, Page 12

FIRST SURVEY TRIP WITHIN A WEEK

Pan-American Flight To New Zealand

REGULAR SERVICE WITHIN SIX MONTHS By Telegraph.—Press Assu.— Copyright. (Received March 12, 10 pan.) San Francisco Marell 11-Pan-American Airways, Lt'd., has announced that the first survey Hight from Honolulu to Auckland via Kingham Reef and Pago Pago will be made within a week with a “Clipper” ship with n crew of six, taking four days. The company believes the service will be inaugurated on a commercial basis six months later. The ship Northwind has been ordered to proceed from Honolulu to Kingman to facilitate the flight.

The survey flight from San Francisco to Auckland; calling at Honolulu, Kingman Reef and Pago Pago, will be followed by further exploratory flights, with the object of determining. whether the route and point of call facilities are suitable tor a regular service, for no matter how completely ami carefully plans be laid, the final proof must lie always in the actual experience of survey flights. The machine which will make the flight to Auckland will be fitted with additional fuel tanks to give a great margin of range, and during the whole period of exploratory flying no passengers will be carried, nor would the company be allowed to carry passengers, under the. rules of the Department of Commerce, ft may make a brief visit to Wellington. The scheduled service will connect New Zealand with the United States (and Canada by other air connections) in a three to four day journey, of which under 48 hours will be spent in the air, for each night the aeroplanes will remain at the stage bases. The four stages of the ocean route will be: Alameda, San Francisco, to Honolulu. 2410 miles; Honolulu to Kingman Reef, 1100 miles; Kingman Reef to Pago Pago, 1550 miles; Pago Pago to Auckland, 1850 miles.

AUCKLAND FACILITIES

Harbour Board to Assist in Every Way Possible

Dominion Special Service. Auckland, March 12. The willingness of the Auckland Harbour Board to co-operate to the fullest possible extent with Pan-American Airways in providing facilities to assist in connection with the forthcoming trial flight from San Francisco to Auckland was expressed by Mr. D. Holderness. superintendent to the board. Mr. Holderness explained, however, that no plans had been made up to the present for providing permanent facilities, nor had a site for a base been definitely decided upon. “We recognise our responsibility in the matter ami have every intention of doing everything we can to help them,” Mr. Holderness continued. He said the board would not commence to develop Lady’s Bay, near St. Helier’s Bay, as a base for overseas flying-boats until the company’s needs were known. In fact, Lady’s Bay had not been definitely selected, although it appeared at present to be a site capable of being developed into a suitable base. The provision of temporary facilities to assist in ensuring the success of -the trial flights had been discussed between representatives of the board and Pan-American Airways. No arrangements had been finalised, however. EXPEDITION. URGED Trans-Tasman Project \ (Received March 12, 9.20 p.m.) Sydney, March 12. Referring to the Pan-American Airways agreement with the Dominion Government, the “Sun” says that at. present the trans-Tasman project is a matter for negotiation between the British, Australian and New Zealand Governments. Aviation circles here are urging the Governments concerned to expedite their decision on the methods and terms of operation in order that this service may also start from the Australian end this year. The "Sun” states that a new operating company will probably be formed by the Australian affiliations of Imperial Airways and Union Airways of New Zealand to operate a transTasman service. The Federal Minister of Defence, Sir Archdale Parkhill, said that the Commonwealth was waiting on further information from New Zealand regarding plans for the trans-Tasman service. He added that he could not indicate when it was likely to start.