PACIFIC SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 291, 4 September 1937, Page 9

PACIFIC SERVICE

Pan-American Airways to Begin

START IN DECEMBER Two More Survey Flights First GIANT PLANES BEING BUILT / By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, September 3. Pan-American Airways will begin a regular service across the Pacific between Alameda airport, near San Francisco, and Auckland, at the end of December this year. Before then two more survey flights will be made to New Zealand, one plane arriving probably in the first week in December, and one later in the month.

Concrete plans are to be laid before the Auckland Harbour Board this week for the establishment of a terminal base here. Though details of the'position have yet to be discussed with the board, a statement to this effect, the first made by Pan-American Airways concerning their plans, was given this morning by Mr. Harold Gatty, representative of the company in Australia and New Zealand, who arrived back by the Mariposa from America.

Mr. Gatty said: “Two more survey flights will be made this year iu December. The first plane will be arriving here in the first week in December. Then Pan-American Airways will begin the running of their regular service here before the end of December,”

At the start an 5428 Sikorsky clipper, similar to the one in which Captain Musick made the first survey flight, would be used on the service, and there would not be muth equipment for passengers, freight and mail being carried. Only one plane would be used with a fortnightly service, and a spare plane would be kept at Honolulu. For the later service giant 40ton Boeings, which were now under construction, would be used. The first of these would be ready in January, but it might be March on April before they were used on the service. These were twice the size of the Sikorskys, and would be the biggest planes in the world. They would carry from 40 to 60 passengers. “I have brought back with me concrete plans for the establishment of a base here, and of the floating equipment that will be needed for construction work here,” said Mr. Gatty. “Concerning the site of the base, I cannot say anything until I have laid my plans before the Auckland Harbour Board. That will be taken up with them right away, when I will present our desires and "wishes in the matter. Men will be coming on the next ship, or maybe the next trip of this ship, to supervise the construction of the base, and act as personnel. I have also to take up the matter of sites for radio stations. Plans are also prepared for the building of bases at Kingman Reef and Pago Pago, and men are on their way to those places from the United States with the materials that will be necessary. Here we will use local -labour and materials as much as possible.” Discussing recent cables that had come from American sources hinting that Pan-American Airways had decided to abandon the idea of bases at Jarvis Island and Howland Island, and possibly the trans-Pacific service, because of the dangers exposed by the loss of the famous axiatrix, Mrs. Amelia Earhart Putnam a few weeks ago, Mr. Gatty issued a definite denial. “It never was planned to use them.” he said, “and the flight of Mrs. Putnam had no connection with our plans. A lot of misinformation has come from Honolulu. It was not possible for anyone to give any information regarding our plans, for no one else was in a position to give any. This is the first statement that has been made by us on the question. Statements that have been made previously were made up by people who knew nothing whatever about it. In any case, bases at Howland and Jarvis Islands would be land bases. They were never planned by us. The bases we surveyed and used on the first flight—Kingman Reef, Pago Pago, Auckland—were the only ones considered, and the ones that will be used.” Referring to the survey flight made by Captain Musick, Mr. Gatty, who made the return journey to America in the clipper, said a great deal of interesting information was gained concerning weather conditions and other scientific aspects of the route, and service weather conditions had been plotted steadily ever since. Mr. Gatty did not wish to discuss the question of British aviation rights referred to in the agreement between Pan-American Airways and the New Zealand Government. It was not a question with which he could deal, he said.