AIRFIELDS TESTED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22612, 15 April 1948, Page 4

AIRFIELDS TESTED

KING'S AIRCRAFT SUCCESSFUL VISIT RETURN VIA AUSTRALIA (P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 15. After a tour of a number of New Zealand aerodromes, some of which are likely to be included in the itinerary of the Royal aircraft during next year’s visit by the King and Queen and Princess Margaret, the Viking plane of the King's Flight returned to Whenuapai. She will leave today for Canberra by way of Norfolk Island and either Brisbane or Sydney. The captain of the King’s Flight, Air Commodore E. H. Fielden, said during his brief New Zealand visit he had conferred with the Governor-General, Sir Bernard Freyberg. the Prime Minister, Mr. P. Fraser, and officers of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Everything had been most satisfactory and all the necessary arrangements had been made as far as was possible at this stage. _ . Aerodromes at which landings might be undertaken next year were examined, and he understood that all would be satisfactory for use by the King’s aircraft by the time the Royal visit occurred. Adequate navigational aids were available and, from his point of view, the visit had been completely successful. In Australia the procedure for the present visit by the Viking would probably be the same as that followed in New Zealand. Air Commodore Fielden added that he would see the GovernorGeneral, Mr. J. McKell, confer with the Royal Australian Air Force, and generally make preliminary arrangements for next year’s visit. The Viking would then return to Britain by way of the Middle East, Air Commodore Fielden added in reply to a question that there was no possibility of any of the Royal visitors coming to New Zealand by air. He did not yet know how many of the four Vikings in the King’s Flight would be used for the coming tour, but those required would carry only their crews to New Zealand. Their route from Britain bad not yet been decided.