TRANS-TASMAN AIR SERVICE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 2 March 1935, Page 5

TRANS-TASMAN AIR SERVICE

POSSIBILITY OF EISTABLISHMEiNT “SMITHY’S” PROPOSED PLANS The establishment of a trans-Tas-man air mail service has been - made a matter of months rather than years, mainly owing to -the. lessons learned as a result of the Centenary air race said Mr S. E. Nielson, secretary of the New Zealand and New Plymouth Aero Clubs yesterday; He was commenting on the announcement that Sir Charles Kingsford Smith proposed to establish a bi-weeklv .mail service from Sydney to ; New Zealand. Mr Nielson said that Sir Charles would not have issued his recent statement to the Press had he not been completely confident-.that the service he mentioned could be established on a safe and practical basis. Mr Nielson was of the opinion that more notice could be taken of Sir Charles than of any other pilot flying to-day, because of his particular knowledge of long ocean flights and of Tasman conditions. He had crossed the Tasman in every conceivable type of weather five or six times. Further, he possessed an intimate knowledge of both New Zealand and Australian flving conditions and landing grounds. “In view of Sir Charles’ full knowledge of all aerodromes in New Zealand, and the comparative data ..made available to him in the past twelve months,” said Mr. Neilson, “it > significant that he is still definitely of the opinion that New Plymouth . should be the terminus of the trans-oeeanie mail service.” - -

COMING TO DOMINION • 1 ■ ./

POSSIBLY FLYING TASMAN. AGAIN (United Preen Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) SYDNEY, March 1. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith states that he intends to go to New Zealand within fhe next few weeks to ascertain the extent to which New Zealand is interested in the transTasman air service.

He -may fly the Southern Cross over if he can get paying passengers,'