TASMAN AIR ROUTE

Evening Star, Issue 22047, 5 June 1935, Page 8

TASMAN AIR ROUTE

CAPTAIN TAYLOR'S CLAIM IMPERIAL ASPECT ADVANCED Press Association—By Telegraph— Copyright LONDON, June 4. (Received Juno 5, at noon.) Contesting the statement made by Captain Taylor that the transtasman route should be the prerogative of Australian and New Zealand operators as compensation for the Australian pioneering of the route, an official of Imperial Airways told the Australian Press Association: “Apart from the fact that the route is certain to be included among the trunk lines in a great Imperial scheme, which it is hoped will be inaugurated in 1937, there is no basis for the claim that we should be excluded from it. The Tasman Sea should no more be the prerogative of Australian and New Zealand air lines than the Atlantic route should be the prerogative of Britain. Presumably the Tasman route will be open to tenders, as was the Singapore-Brisbane route. We have every respect for the courage of the Tasman aerial pioneers in unsuitable machines, but it is a route essentially meant for flying boats, and one which must be an Empire rather than a purely Australian or New Zealand project.

HINGSFOFID SMITH'S COMPAHY TO INVESTIGATE EVERY PHASE OF OPERATION (Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, .Tune S v In a letter to the 4 Evening Post,* Sir Charles Kingsford Smith says: “ The statement by Mr Afchdale Parkhul (Minister of Defence in Australia] that the transtasman air service will be operated by Australians and New Zealanders lias given me tlie incentive to take my experimental work for the last six years a step further by the formation of a developmental company for the purpose of co-Ordinating the knowledge that has been gained by our previous crossings of the Tasman dating back to 1928, together with the investigations into operating problems of a regular service that have occupied such a large amount of my time. The company will investigate every phase of the‘operation of this service, including determination of the most suitable modern aircraft available and analysis of radio and other equipment best suited to operating conditions. The policy of the company is to work towards the provision of a service giving the highest possible speed and safety with cjue regard to the economical limitations of the route. It appears to be the general opinion that large flyillg boats would be ideal for the service, but it must be remembered that the Tasman Sea has a reputation of being a very disturbed section of water and an entirely different proposition, in so far as operation of flying boats is concerned, as for example, the water surrounding Honolulu, There are one or two types of flying boats being built at the present time which would he suitable for the transtasman service, but the price would be something in the neighbourhood of £IOO,OOO, and unfor-' Innately there is no compromise—in other words, a flying boat pufchasGable at anything lass than this price. A modern land machine would not be the type able to ride tho Tasman in pad weather any better than a land machine fitted with‘modern floating gear, therefore, although my company Wbnld he delighted to operate a service with the big type of flying boat previously mentioned, it is considered that tho cost would he prohibitive ip much the same way as Australians and New Zealanders have to bo content with ships of a sixth or less tonnage of the liners in use in the transatlantic service. We feel we have to be content in the early stages with an air service within the economic limitations of transtasman traffic. Such » service can be provided at probably 25 per cent, of tlie cost, capable of making the crossing in seven hours, and providing practically the same service as big flying boats. This service would, of course, carry mails only for some time. Machines of a suitable type are now available, providing ample marginal safety for mails, inasmuch as they ate capable of flying on a full load with one engine out of action, and, further, shell a service can be put into operation with a minimum of delay. The policy of the company will be to employ highly skilled Australian and New Zealand pilots and technicians, and, where necessary, these men will be sent overseas for experience in preference to the importation of personnel from other countries.”