ACROSS THE TASMAN

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 15, 19 January 1933, Page 9

ACROSS THE TASMAN

REGULAR AIR SERVICE

FUTURE POSSIBILITY

A.MAEINER'S VIEWS

In the opinion Qf Captain P. G. Taylor, co-pilot and navigator of the Southern Cross during the flight across the Tasman Sea early this month, the possibility of a regular air service between Australia and New Zealand is not so remote as it appears. Captain Taylor, who is pilot to the Australian National Airways, is at present in Wellington, and will leave for Sydney to-morrow by the Wanganella. He will return in time to make the return trip to Australia in the Southern Cross.

In an interview, with a "Post" representative, Captain Taylor said that Jus opinion on a regular trans-Tasman' service was not based on the flight he made in the Southern, Cross, but on the rapid development of commercial aircraft, and the growing necessity for quicker carriage of passengers and mails. If aeroplanes could fly long distances over land in all sorts of weather, there-, was nff reason why they could not fly over sea. The fuel-carrying capacity of an aeroplane was one of the main •factors to be considered in the establishment of a service across the Tasman. This was one of the main difficulties in the way at the present time. Captain Taylor said that there was already in existence • a machine which would probably be suitable for such a service. This was a Junkers G3B, which was at present being used by a German air service. The main feature of the machine was that its engines, of which there were four, were housed inside the wings, thus enabling the engineers to have access to them, while in flight. Running repairs could be attended to without delay, and the danger of a forced landing was eliminated. The machine would remain in flight under any conditions on three engines, and would carry on without any appreciable loss of height on two. Such a machine would carry about thirty passengers and a crew consisting of a captain, second pilot, engineer, wireless operator, and steward.' '

Captain Taylor said that although there were machines^ in. Australia capable" of ioak'ing the flight across the Tasman Sea, they could not be regarded as entirely suitable for maintaining a regular passenger- service.

Asked to' explain the difference beiweeh navigating a ship and navigating an aeroplane, Captain Tajjlor said that the main difference was that in. an aeroplane the navigator had to allow for the tremendous drift and variations of speed owing to the high -winds that were often encountered. The factors governing the accurate observations, of celestial bodies from which, the position of the machine could^ be determined were also different., More rapid cal-1 culation was also necessary. The main instruments used in navigating were a compass, height indicator, drift and speed indicator, sextant, and a chronometer. - , .