NEW AIR SERVICE

Evening Star, Issue 25326, 7 November 1944, Page 6

NEW AIR SERVICE

INITIAL TRIP DUNEDIN TO INVERGARGILL Yesterday afternoon witnessed another milestone in the aviation history of New Zealand when the first flight was made in the air service to Invercargill, which is being operated by Union Airways Ltd. as an extension of the Auckland-Dunedin service.

On arrival at Taieri with passengers from the north shortly before 3 p.m., the 10-seater Lockheed Electra was prepared for a trip to Invercargill and back under the control of Commander J. Neville Jackson and Co-pilot R. Walton, who had flown it from Wellington, which had been left at 11.40 a.m. Guests of the company for the opening flight were Mr G. W. Lane (president of the Dunedin Manufacturers' Association), Mr W. R. Sinclair (Otago Daily Times Co.), and Mr S. D. Smith (Evening Star Co.). The following passengers were also carried:—Mr J. L. Johnston, Mrs Valentine, Mrs Applegate, Mrs T. Endicott-Davis and Mrs J. Tosh.

The take-off was made in perfect weather at 3.15 p.m. and in the next three-quarters of an hour a wonderful panorama of the countryside of South Otago at its best was unravelled to the occupants travelling in arm-chair comfort at 180 miles per hour at an elevation of 2,500 ft. The route flown was inland from Milton and Balclutha and passed over Waitahuna and to the left of the Blue Mountains. The immediate view below was of afforestation reserves in the vicinity of Tapanui, the muddy Clutha, and the crystal-clear Pomahaka Rivers, and newly-ploughed paddocks of varying shades of brown vividly contrasted here and there by others of bright yellow mustard. After passing Gore the beautiful green fields, attractive homesteads, and long, straight country roads showed Southland farming country at its. best. Ahead, Bluff Hill was visible, with Stewart Island in the background.

In no time the aircraft was circling Invercargill City and suburbs at a low level .before landing at the spacious southern aerodrome at 4. p.m. An unofficial welcome was extended the visitors by the deputy mayor of Invercargill (Mr W. Aitchison) who joined the party for the return trip, as did Mr R. J. Gilmour (Southland Times Co.), Mr J. E. Ferguson (Invercargill News Co.), and the following passengers .-—Mr and Mrs R. Hosie, Messrs J. C. Kirkland and H. L. Mair. Copies of the ' Southland Daily News,' each in a special souvenir wrapper, were distributed to passengers. The southern airport was left at 4.15 and, as the return trip was made at twice the altitude, the view became correspondingly more extensive and of greater grandeur, being limited, nearly a hundred miles away, by the Southern Alps and the Remarkables from one side of the cabin window and by the horizon of the ocean on the other side. To describe in detail the magnificence of this view of the most picturesque part of New Zealand crammed into three-quarters of an hour while travelling smoothly along in warm sunshine over 5,000 ft above the earth would be impossible in a newspaper report, but it is certain that this latest enterprise of Union Airways, primarily established in time of war as a service to the commercial community, will, as it is developed further, offer a great appeal to the public of Dunedin and Invercargill as a short tourist trip over a route second to none for scenery.