TASMAN FLIGHT LANDING

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4762, 22 October 1935, Page 5

TASMAN FLIGHT LANDING

RESENTMENT JN TARANAKI. - r; ; l 7f • 7 NEEDLESS EXPENSE INCURRED. ; i - . • Some resentment has been aroused .. in Taranaki as a result of the events *■ of the flight across the Tasman by . I , ,Mr. W. M. O’Hara. The objection; 1 apparently is not so much to the fact ■ that Mr. O’Hara landed at Auckland, ; as to the needless trouble, and ex-;' pense caused to the aerodrome ? officials and the public at New Ply- / mouth. /> •; Definite notification was' received,, from Sydney that the landing would ; be made at New Plymouth, and ord- . ers were received for supplies of petrol, etc. About the expected time, r of the landing 500 people gathered ’ at the aerodrome and began a wait ■ which lasted till long after nightfall. Flares were lighted to mark the landing ground and powerful searchlights were operated continuously from the roof of the hangar. News was, received that Mr. O’Hara’s machine had reached the coast at Mokau, and activity in preparation for the landing, expected within a few minutes, was redoubled. Until it was too dark an aeroplane was kept constantly in the air scouting the country for some miles round the aerodrome. After 8,30 p.m. a telephone message was received from Mangere aerodrome announcing Mr. O’Hara’s arrival there. . % Mr, O’Hara has since explained , that before taking off at Sydney he left a message to be cabled to New . Plymouth that he would make his landing at Auckland, but the cable was not received there. Mr. O’Hara states that the only explanation he can give is that in the hurry and bustle his cable was forgotten by those with whom it was left.