TASMAN AIR SERVICE

Northern Advocate, 27 July 1935, Page 10

TASMAN AIR SERVICE

CONVERSATIONS IN WELLINGTON [Special to “Northern Advocate ”1 AUCKLAND, This Day. Beyond saying that he was exceedingly hopeful of the outcome of his conversations in Wellington with the acting-Prime Minister, Sir Alfred Ransom, and other Cabinet Ministers, concerning his Tasman air mail proposal, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, who returned to Auckland by air yesterday, had no comment to make. He leaves by the Monterey for San Francisco toSir Charles, who was accompanied by Flying-Officer B. Shiel, had lunch with the Governor-General, Lord Galway, on Thursday, and at 2.30 p.m., in what he described as “filthy” weather, flew to New Plymouth in an Air Force Moth in the record time for a light machine of one hour forty minutes. At New Plymouth, Sir Charles conferred with the municipal authorities concerning extensions to the aerodrome there, and at 7.30 yesterday was again in the air, reaching Hobsonville air base in one hour forty minutes — the same time that he took to fly from Wellington to New Plymouth. Sir Charles’ Lockheed Altair ’plane, which he purchased in the United States for the Centenary Air Race, and for which he could not get a certificate of air worthiness in Australia —is still his pi'operty and he intends shipping it to England. He anticipates being able to obtain the necessary certificate of air worthiness there, and if he does it will be recognised in Australia. It" is in this machine, the Lady Southern Cross that he contemplates making his flight from England to Australia. His co-pilot will probably be Mr T. Pethybridge. Sir Charles proposes on arrival at Sydney to have the ’plane converted into a Lockheed Orion to carry six passengers, in which he will make a goodwill flight to Japan—his last longdistance venture.