SOUTH WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 13 November 1934, Page 5

SOUTH WESTLAND

NEW AIR SERVICE

PARTICULARS OF PROGRAMME.

(Per Press Assooiation, Copyrights

CHRISTCHURCH, November 'l2

Commenting on the formation and operation of Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd., in the South Westland service, Mr ®J. C. lViv.cer, the managing director, said the Fox Moth machine is a speed model, and, although capable, of seating three passengers and a pilot, will only be used to carry two passengers and their luggage, owing to the fact that small landing grounds would make it difficult to take off with ta digger load. ’ Mr- Mercer said that the company was co-operating with the Railway Department to the fullest exent, - and booking arrangements were to be made through the railway. Passengers could meet the ’plane either at Inchbonnie or Hokitika, but, if • the . weather was adverse at Inchbonnie, Hoki tika would be used for the take-off.;

The securing of the mail contract, he said, would mean ,a great deal to the people of . South ' Westland. Ordinarily it took four days for letters to get from Hokitika to the Haast, or longer i n wet weather when streams were*.- flooded. By air the Haast could be reached in. an hour and a half. Passengers,' if they wished could make the'trip to the Franz Josef Glacier in the one day, leaving Christchurch by train in-the morning, flying to the glacier for afternoon tea, and be back in time to catch the train back. • • • • -

Mr Mercer was emphatic that there would be no flying across’ the .Southern ‘Alps. It was too uncertain, he said, unless a system of radio beacons were established, and that would not come in New Zealand for some time yet. Flying on the West Coast was extremely safe, he continued and, the ■ danger of ha ving to make - a forced landing was net nearly - so great as wa§ believed. Flying at 2000-feet it was possible anywhere-on the Coast to make a good landing either on the beaches or on the easy' shingle of a river-bed. ' • !

Mr , Mercer added that the com-j •pany’s mail service would be one of the feiv air mail*services in the British' Empire which operated without subsidy. " ’ r ’ ' • .; ’ The 5 directorate of the company is as follows: Messrs H. W. Wor.rall (Christchumrch), P. E. H. Renton (Hokitika), H. Newman (Hokitika), and J. C. Mercer, managing-director, and pilot. The secretary is- Mr A. w. Wukinson,' of *