CLIPPER’S ARRIVAL

Grey River Argus, 2 August 1940, Page 5

CLIPPER’S ARRIVAL

RIGHT ON TIME

Auckland Crowd Present

[Per Press Association! AUCKLAND, August 1

Completing the final stage of 1122 miles, from Noumea, 'in 8 hours and IQ minutes, the Pan-American Airways Honolulu Clipper landed at Auckland at 2.45 o’clock this afternoon on the second flight of the regular mail service between San Francisco and New Zealand.

Commanded by Captain R. H. McGloin, the Clipper made an uneventful trip, which on account of favourable weather conditions, was described as “even better than routine.” The flying boat took off from Noumea at 6.35 (New Zealand time) this morning. For the most part there was a light wind on the bow, and the journey was made in almost uninterrupted sunshine. From the heat of the Californian mid-summer, the crew and passengers were surprised to arrive in the winter climate which welcomed them with what was regarded as a mild and sunny day. Proof that the new South Pacific service is still far from commonplace* was provided by a

crowd which assembled on the waterfront.

In accordance with the Company’s practice of familiarising the commanders with the new air route, Captain Kenneth Beer made the flight as first officer. An express freight service between Auckland and San Francisco will be introduced from the United States' end of the flight commencing on August 24, according to a statement by Mr P. S. Delany, who arrived by the Clipper to assume the duties of Traffic Manager at the Auckland base.

Mr Delany, who has been transferred from the position of Traffic Representative for the Company at Hong Kong, added that advice had yet to be received of the first passenger flight, but the advance bookings indicated that the Clipper would be fully loaded. The Clipper also carried two representatives of the United States civil aeronautics authority, Messrs H. W. Anderson (Chief of the air carrier inspection branch), and H. B. Taylor (who is in charge of the maintenance and inspection section of the Department) Both are primarily concerned with questions of safety, and they expressed the opinion, following their arrival at Auckland, that in every respect the new South Pariflc route was excellent from this standpoint.

Other passengers on the Clipper comprised Mr John Caffrey, of the Wright. Aeronautics Company; Mr Ralph Beecher, the Company’s Pacific divisional engineer, who is inspecting the base facilities; Mr John Yates who will remain in Auckland as mechanic; and Mr L. Lindberg, a member of the Pan-American engineering staff at San Francisco. The Clipper will take off on its return flight to Noumea at 7.39 o’clock on Saturday morning.

N.Z, Mails by Clipper

PEACHING EUROPE IN SIX DAYS

(Received Aug. 2, 1.47 a.m.. NEW YORK, August 1. The Yankee Clipper took off on Wednesday evening at 5.48 o’clock, carrying five hundred pounds of mail for Europe. This mail was brought in the United States Pan-American Clipper from New Zealand. It is expected it will have reached Lisbon six days after being posted in New Zealand.