TRANS-TASMAN SERVICE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 9 March 1935, Page 5

TRANS-TASMAN SERVICE

Reasonable Prospect of Air MaTi Within Two Years

NAVIGATION AIDS ESSENTIAL

WIDE OCEAN CROSSING (By Telegrapu—rrcss Association.) AUCKLAND, To-day. “It is not unreasonable to hope that there will be an air mail service across the Tasman within two years; something may be accomplished even aiioad of that time,” said Captain E. Johnson, Controller of Civil Aviation in Australia, who passed' through Auckland to-day on a world tour in the course of an investigation of commercial flying.

Captain Johnson said that the crossing of an ocean as wide as the Tasman was certainly a problem. Only one' such service was hu operation, namely, that from Dakar, in French West Africa, to Natal, in Brazil, which route was 1700 miles long, compared with 1200 miles across the TasirifinV"'‘ A careful study of the route and much preparation would be necessary before these ocean crossings could be included in regular air services. The Tasman would have to be properly equipped with all modem aids to navigation. One of his objects was to investigate the latest wireless equipment for navigation, as the route across the Bass Strait presented a great problem, the weather at certain seasons being bad. The crossing of the Timor Sea in r monsoon was also difficult.

Captain Johnson mentioned the difficulty in flying over inland Australia, owing to the country being featureless. He said that at key points direction arrows were being erected. They conconsisted of iron platforms 1 100 ft long and G feet across painted white.