AIR SERVICE ACROSS PACIFIC

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 172, 17 April 1937, Page 8

AIR SERVICE ACROSS PACIFIC

Estimation of Possible Traffic VISIT BY UNITED STATES OFFICIAL Dominion Special Service. Auckland, April 16. Confidence that an ocean airway across the Pacific was practicable and that it was only a matter of time before it was established was expressed by Mr. William T. Miller, of the United States Bureau of Air Commerce, Washington, who arrived from San Francisco by the Monterey. Mr. Miller will spend some time in New Zealand obtaining an estimate of possible traffic on the projected ocean airway and will then visit Australia on a similar mission. A prominent part in the preliminary work for the extension of aviation in the Pacfic has been played by Mr. Miller, who is a former United States Navy pilot and regularly flies departmental machines ou business trips in the United States. He has made several cruises in the United States cutter Itasca, visiting Howland, Baker, Jarvis and Palmyra Islands, Kingman Reef and Pago Pago. Although he could not say definitely whether or not the results of the recent survey flight of the Sikorsky clipper were sufficiently encouraging to prompt Pan-American Airways to decide to inaugurate the proposed service between Honolulu and Auckland, Mr. Miller said a definite statement on this matter might be expected in the near future. He considered the report he would make when Ills tour was completed would have some influence on the future of the service. “I am interested mostly in obtaining statistics as to how much commerce may be expected between here and the United States at such time as the air line is established,” Mr. Miller continued. He explained that his interest included prospective passengers, freight and mail, and also to see what Australian traffic might be offering by way of New Zealand. In previous investigations into air mail possibilities Mr. Miller has made five cruises in the Pacific. The islands touched at by the air clippers were regarded as division points for mail carriage. At time went on it was likely that some of the division points would be eliminated, as it was certain that the trans-ocean aircraft of the future would make longer hops than were provided by the present services. At the moment the Pan-American company was the biggest one operating in the United States. It had been the pioneer company in extended flying, and it had helped tremendously with the development of commercial aviation.