FLYING BOATS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 14 January 1936, Page 2

FLYING BOATS

UNIVERSAL USE PREDICTED AIRCRAFT ENGINEER’S OPINION PERTH, 7th January. • Captain A. S. Keep, who recently resigned the general managership of the Westland Aircraft works, the makers of Wapitis for the Australian Air Force, says he believes that the universal use of the flying boat on aircraft services is not far distant. The mail and passenger Hying boat is undoubtedly the biggest thing in the future of aviation, he says. With these craft it would be possible to fly on all-red route anywhere from England and avoid the hindrance arising at present in foreign countries. Captain Keep is a passenger on the Ormonde, which arrived at Fremantle from England to-day. Born in Sydney, he has been in London for 40 years, and is returning to Australia for the first time. He was formerly chief test pilotof the company, but lost both legs in a crash 12 years ago. He now manages to walk with artificial limbs. He considered that the number of air accidents was not unduly high, which was borne out by the fact that air insurance rates were the same as those lor passenger-carrying trains, while most of the gold shifted from England was carried by air. Another passenger on the Ormonde is Squadron Leader 11. C. Harrison, who recently retired from the post of Director of Technical Services to the Royal Air Force. He has been abroad since June, and took the opportunity of studying recent developments in aviation. It is understood that he is associated with a commercial aviation proposition in the eastern States.