PACIFIC FLYING

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 260, 1 August 1939, Page 10

PACIFIC FLYING

Preliminary Runs To

New Zealand

CLIPPER AND CREW STANDING BY

Pan-American Airways’

New Route

Pan-American Airways is ready to start preliminary flights to New Zealand in the near future, according to advice received from his principals in the United States by Mr. Harold Gatty, special representative of the company, who is visiting Wellington. The Boeing flying-boat built for the service, the South Seas Clipper, together with her crew, is standing by at San Francisco, and flights over the South Pacific route will begin as soon as formal approval has been given by the United States Government.

‘■Using the Boeing flying-boat, a fortnightly service is contemplated,” Mr. Gatty said yesterday. “The distance to be covered is 7952 miles, and the schedule provides for the journey to occupy -19 flying hours. ‘‘The service will be operated from San Francisco by way of Los Angeles, Honolulu, Canton Island and New Caledonia to Auckland. This new route has been made possible by the long range and very considerable loadcarrying capacity of the new Boeings. They are capable of carrying up to 30 passengers, together with their lug- ' gage and two and a half tons of mail and freight over the longest stages of the new transocean route. Bases Ready For Use. “All bases on the South Pacific route are now ready for use,” Mr. Gatty said. “Apart from the bases at San Francisco, Los Angeles and Honolulu, engineers have completed their work at Canton Island and New Caledonia. Meteorological and radio facilities have been provided, as well as buildings to accommodate passengers and crew at overnight stopping places. “Pan-American Airways is looking forward to the inauguration of the Tasman service because of the important link that it will provide. When the Tasman service is running a through service will be available from the United States, by way of Auckland, to Australia, thus. covering the whole South Pacific area.” The facilities being provided by the New Zealand Government at the Musick Memorial radio centre for the benefit of air services would be of the utmost value to Pan-American Airways, Mr. Gatty continued, and' would be used in connexion with the flights of the Boeings. It was not anticipated . that any passengers would be carried on the first flight, but on her second journey the Boeing would probably bring, as well as her crew, officials of the United States Government and representatives of Pan-American Airwa y s. APPLICATION TO THE AUTHORITY Company’s Announcement ■ ■ (Received July 31, 8.45 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 30. Pan-American Airways has announced that it is applying to the civil aeronautics authority for permission to begin fortnightly flights with one of its 414-ton four-motored Boeing flyingboats over an 8000-mile route linking Auckland and San Francisco. The company is advising the Government that it is ready to start the service immediately on receipt of approval. The application lists a new route west of the course originally charted by the Samoan Clipper in 1937-38. namely, San Francisco-Los Angeles-Honolulu-Canton Island-Noumea-New Caledonia-Auckland, with a full day’s lay-over at Honolulu, and overnight stops at Canton and Noumea. The trip would require four days, with an actual flying time of 49 hours. At the outset only outward-bound flights would stop at Los Angeles. The company states that the route facilities and complete bases have been installed and manned and a flyingboat is available. PREPARATIONS MADE Stopping-Places On Long Route THE SOUTH SEAS CLIPPER Thorough preparation at all stoppingplaces on the 7952-mile trausocean route between San Francisco and Auckland has been made by Pan-American Airwavs in anticipation of the early resumption of the service interrupted by the loss of the Sikorsky flying-boat Samoan Clipper off Tutuila, American Samoa, in January last year. The route to be flown varies considerably from that followed by the Samoan Clipper, the long range of the new 41-ton Boeing machines having made the variation easily possible. Instead of flying from San Francisco to Honolulu direct, the Boeing set aside for the service, the South Sea Clipper, will call at Los Angeles, thus providing an improved service on the Pacific Coast. Flying south from Honolulu, the Boeing will not touch at Kingman Reef, the tiny speck of land only a few feet above sea-level where the Sikorsky refuelled from a floating base, but will travel direct to Canton Island. A colony has been established on Canton Island, following the agreement between the United States and British Governments concerning joint occupancy. There are now 75 men there, and a base has been built and equipped tinder the direction of Mr. Frank McKenzie, the Pan-American airport engineer who supervised the construction of the company’s terminal at Auckland. Preparation of Runway. The Pan-American supply ship North Haven left Canton Island last month after discharging 5000 tons of material and equipment, and the ground crew has since built an hotel, installed a power plant, radio station, meteorological equipment and other essentials, as well as blasting away the heads of coral to give a suitable runway for the South Seas Clipper. Already the main runway, running east and west, has been completed, and it is doubtful whet been completed, and it is doubtful

whether, any other will be needed, in view of the steadiness of the prevailing wind.

From this island base, the clipper will travel in a south-westerly direction to the township of Nouville, New Caledonia. There, on the island of Nou, which was once a penal settlement, Pan-American engineers under Mr. A. L. Lewis, formerly airport manager in Auckland, have provided another of the essential series of bases. Less work has been necessary than at Canton Island, however, as the harbour is well suited to the operation of marine aircraft, and no blasting lias been necessary to clear a runway. Moreover, the company has taken over some of the old penal buildings, with hurri-cane-proof walls several feet thick, and lias converted them for use as airport buildings. Emergency Moorings. Representatives of the company have also been active in New Zealand. Moorings for use in an emrgency have been retained at Russell, and radio facilities will also be provided there. The bulk of the work, however, has been done in Auckland, where the J>ase is ready for immediate use. All the floating gear, stored since the loss of the Samoan Clipper, has been overhauled and set in position, and heavier moorings, necessary for the larger type of machine, have been laid. A launch has been secured and is standing by. and a wide range of spare parts, including a complete engine, has been obtained and stored in the workshops. Staffing arrangements in Auckland are not yet complete, though the whole of the key personnel has arrived from the United States. When the company's intention of resuming the service was announced some time ago it was thought likely that the first Boeing would be flown to Auckland by Captain W. D. Culbertson, a veteran pilot who flew with Captain Edwin C. Musick on one of'the journeys of the Samoan Clipper. Captain Culbertson has since, however, been transferred to the Atlantic division, where he is master of one of the Boeings flying to Europe. It is now thought likely that the South Seas Clipper will be commanded by Captain John Tilton, who on Captain Musick’s death succeeded to the position of chief pilot for the Pacific division. Boeing Flying-boat. The Boeing flying-boat South Seas Clipper is one of six sister ships specially built for the company by the Boeing factory at Seattle. It is one of the largest aircraft in the world, being'•approximately twice the size of the Samoan Clipper and the Empire flying-boat Centaurus, which visited New Zealand last year.

Owing to its immense size the Boeing, which can carry over 70 passengers on short journeys and 30 people, apart from a crew and two and a half tons of freight and mail, on long ocean stages, was built on a slipway in the same manner as a ship. Tlie hull is on the two-deck principle, similar to that adopted for the Empire flying-boats with the crew’s quarters on the upper deck and the passengers’ rooms on the lower level.

Additional safety has resulted from the vast size of the Boeing. Catwalks are provided in the wings, and in the unlikely event of one of the four 1500 horse-power engines failing in flight it can be stopped while mechanics workon it while standing upright in tlie nacelle in which each engine is mounted. Every . conceivable safety device has been incorporated in tlie design, and for the first time in the history of aviation the captain does not necessarily fly the machine. Instead, he acts as general controller of the machine and its journey, having two junior officers to do the actual flying. It is usual for the pilot to take the controls for takeoffs and landings. At other times he occupies an office behind the pilot s compartment. Luxurious sleeping accommodation is provided for the passengers, and there is also a dining-room, lounge and liar The Boeing, with a maximum speed of 200 miles an hour and a range that may exceed 5000 miles if required, is complete even to a honeymoon suite.