TRAVELLING BY AIR

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 36, 11 August 1934, Page 8

TRAVELLING BY AIR

Three items in yesterday's "Post" drew attention to the development of air travel. Mr. Bernt Balchen was reported as stating that it was possible that seaplanes would, in the course of two years, be carrying mails and passengers between New Zealand and the United States making a 3| days' journey by way ot* Suva and Honolulu. Mr. Balchen also expressed surprise that there was no service between Auckland and Dunedin. The flight could be made in five hours and there was no excuse for holding (back with aviation at its present state of development. Again, Miss Jean Batten, after travelling from north to south by air, said that because of its generally good weather conditions and good visibility, New Zealand must be served by a network of airways in the near future. Already business men were demanding such services to save time, energy, and tiring road journeys. The third item was news of the publication in

England of the first "Bradshaw of the Air," being a guide and time-table of all European air services. This is significant, for when services and limes are certain enough to be scheduled it may be said that air travel has become not an exceptional but a regular method. New Zealand has not reached that stage yet, but if Miss Batten and Mr. Balchen are right (and they know their subject) the stage is not far off. Already the Government has deemed it necessary to take power to license air services. This power, wisely exercised, may hasten development by preventing the confusion which would arise if services were allowed to begin without assurance of their regularity or continuity. At the same time care must be taken to guard against a check on development through the creation of any vested interest.