PACIFIC BY AIR

Evening Star, Issue 22633, 27 April 1937, Page 15

PACIFIC BY AIR

SERVICES WILL GOME PASSENGERS. HAIL, AHD EXPRESS RELATION TO TASMAN There is little doubt of the P, l '? c ” ticability and therefore the probability of tho establishment of air services over tho Pacific and the Tasman to New Zealand, by whatever company or companies they may be operated, and it is simply a matter of time before regular services are running, said Mr William T. Miller, of the United States Bureau of Air Commerce, to a Wellington ‘Post’ reporter. There were, h© believed, very great possibilities in future air transport over the Incite, and eventually there would probably be room for more than one service. Mr Miller arrived at Auckland last Friday. Ho was formerly an American navy pilot and latter,y has been charged with investigation work by the United States Government into aviation developments. He has spent a good deal of time in the Pacific since Pan-American Airways established their great North Pacific service to Manila —now to be extended to Hongkong—™ and his visit to New. Zealand is in largo part in connection with 1 anAmerican Airways’ South Pacific service to Auckland. It was not possible to say a.s _ yet whether the results of the survey night by the first Clipper under Captain Musick would be accounted sufficiently promising to warrant the establishment of the regular service at once, said Mr Miller, but that such a service would come sooner or later he had no doubt. On his present visit ho was endeavouring to obtain statistics on which 'to base an estimate of the air traffic to be expected on such a South Pacific air service, not only between tho American mainland and New Zealand, but to and from Australia as well, by way of a Tasman service, and to carry his inquiries into the latter aspect he proposed to visit Australia, leaving by the Awatea to-day. THE TASMAN LINK. Mr Miller agreed that upon the Tasman link—whether by an AustralianNew Zealand, a British, or a private company—must very largely depend the prospects for success of a service down the South Pacific, for it was self-evi-dent that a far greater value of service. and, therefore, use of the service, would be given by fast transport oyer a through route than by the running of aircraft to a dead end. Pan-American Airways, he said, were among the largest of the American air line operators and had been highly successful in their development, due to the thoroughness and excellence of their flying and communication organisations'. What the “company did it did well, * and its management had , been characterised by a long and sound' foresight. SUBSIDY AND FUTURE AIR TRANSPORT.

Speaking of the policy of the United States Government as to the development of air lines, Mr Miller said that the payment; of the present subsidies was not envisaged as _ a policy ’ that was to hold for all time, for as air traffic grew in passengers, mail carriage, and express freight, and as aircraft were developed—as to-day they were rapidly doing—to carry greater pay-loads more and more economically, the business of air transportation would become more self-reliant and tho amount of financial assistance could be reduced. ■' *

LAND PLANES OR FLYING BOATS. The question of the use of land planes for a Tasman service was mem tioned, but Mr Miller said that he could not express an opinion upon that point, for many factors had to be considered with particular reference to local conditions, but there was, he said, undoubtedly a strong section ot opinion in favour of multi-engined land craft for water crossings which were not tjOO great. That was matter outside the field of his inquiry; ah air service would come and the air routes of the Pacific area would be linked into a through route over which an increasing volume of business would bo carried. “ WILL COME WITH A RUSH.”

“ You have your internal services and from what 1 have gathered they are doing good work,” said Mr Miller, “but when aviation comes as a regular thing in everyday transport it will come, in this country as in all other countries, with a rush. Its advantages are so great and so obvious once the services are well established, that air travel cannot be held back.”

Mr Miller said that he thought New Zealand would be well pleased with the, fine performance of the Lockheed Electras with which the WelUngtonAuckland service would be instituted. They were, in their class, among the finest and most fully-equipped machines used on American air lines. They were very fast and would be capable of maintaining a return service between Wellington , and Auckland daily, up in the morning and back in the afternoon.

LATE START NO DISADVANTAGE

“ Though New Zealand has been later than other countries in entering into aviation,” concluded Mr Miller, “ this, from one point of view, is a good thing. Overseas countries have nine or 10 years of hard experience behind them, and New Zealand can start away on her further developments, in flying practice, the planning of weather and radio aids, and the many problems of management and control, with the benefit of the experience of others if she wishes to utilise it. If New Zealand can profit by what we have learned by experience, then that knowledge is very readily hers.”