THE CLIPPER’S ARRIVAL

Northern Advocate, 31 March 1937, Page 4

THE CLIPPER’S ARRIVAL

History was written in indelible letters yesterday, when a Clipper ship of Pan-American 'Airways arrived at Auckland, -'thus giving reality to a cherished dream that New Zealand would one day become a link in the world’s chain of air services. The long-expected has happened, but the apparent ease with which the flight from San Francisco was accomplished, and the confidence of the navigators, are apt Ho discount in the eyes of the public the real magnitude of the feat that has been performed. The Clipper is making a survey trip to and from ’Frisco, the purpose being to cheek up on all arrangements made for the regular service between New Zealand and the United States which the company expects to start before the end of the year. It is owing to the painstaking manner in which details are being prepared that the success of transpacific flight ' may be regarded as assured. Nothing is being left to chance, and everything is being done to increase the faith which travellers the world over are manifesting in air transport. This means a great ideal to New Zealand, which, hitherto the most isolated portion of the globe, has been brought into close association with the great continents. Pan-American .-Airways is to be heartily congratulated not only upon the safe arrival of the Clipper yesterday afternoon, but upon the success with which the company lias worked to make possible a reguI lar service between America and New Zealand. It is pathetic that Britishers should have tried in* vain to inaugurate the _ very thing that Pan-American Airways has now accomplished. This is particularly the ease when the unsuccessful efforts of the late Sir Charles Kingsford Smith are remembered, for if the atithorities had been able to see the future of aviation through the eyes of the world’s greatest airman, air travel over the Pacific . and over the Tasman would have been established long ago. It is very gratifying to New Zealanders and Australians, however, to know that another distinguished Australian airman, Mr Harold Catty, has played a very prominent part in carrying out the plans .which had fruition yesterday, when the great Clipper arrived a few minutes under schedule and alighted on the waters of the Wat-1 temata with no more fuss than’

when a taxi draws up at the kerb- j side. There is irony in the fact that j New Zealand and America, should j have made contact _ while _ the ; transtasman connection is still a| matter of conjecture. \estei-j day’s achievement, however, may 1 hasten the establishment _ of the transtasman service, which, in conjunction with that over thei Pacific, would bring Unto close | association the countries of the, whole world. Yesterday is tpo close for the real significance of j the Clipper’s arrival to be appreciated, but succeeding generations will realise that on March 30, 1937, an epochal event occurred.