BOEING CLIPPER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 11 May 1939, Page 10

BOEING CLIPPER

SOUTH PACIFIC AIR ROUTE EARLY RESUMPTION OF SERVICE LIKELY I United V rew Association] AUCKLAND, 9th May.One of the largest flying-boats in the world, the 74-passenger Boeing Clipper, recently delivered to Pan-American Airways, is expected in Auckland in July, in the course of a survey flight over the new South Pacific air route. The machine is a sister-ship to the Yankee Clipper, which has just completed a double Atlantic crossing. It will fly from Honolulu, by way of Canton Island and Noumea, New Caledonia, to Auckland. An early resumption of the service.; interrupted in January, 1938, is indica- i ted by activity along the new route chosen by Pan-American Airways. Passengers for Auckland by the Mariposa, due from San Francisco on Friday, include Mr E. B. Buxton, one of the company’s meteorologists, who j was in Auckland last year, and Mr D. F. O’Brien, who will become chief I radio operator at the southern ter- ! minal. Through passengers for Sydi ney, on their way to Noumea, are Mr I A. L. Lewis, formerly airport manager j at. Auckland, and a ground crew of six i men. Operations and maintenance 1 staff are expected to reach Auckland jin June. Details are not yet available I of the names of the individuals chosen. ! though it is possible that the party will ! include some of the men who served in Auckland while the service was being

operated by the ill-fated Samoan Clipper. CANTON ISLAND BASE To establish a flying-boat base at Canton Island a party is already on its way by steamer. Necessary materials and supplies are aboard, and no time will be lost in building the base, putting hi moorings and making arrangements for various auxiliary services, such as radio and meteorological, necessary before the service can be begun. Immediately upon his arrival at Auckland, Mr Buxton will resume his interrupted task of compiling the weather history of the South Pacific area. The new chief radio operator, Mr O’Brien, will replace Mr A. L. Charman, who was recalled to Honolulu after the Samoan Clipper had been lost. The company’s radio service in Auckland has been maintained ever since, however, by the second operator, Mr W. Taylor. In addition to providing the necessary staff in Auckland to administer the various departments associated with the resumption of the service, it ir likely that Pan-American Airways will extend its buildings at the Mechanic’s Bay base. THE NEW ROUTE By flying over the new route two calling-places on the original route will be omitted. The Boeing Clipper

will not stop at Kingman Reef or Pago Pago, but will call instead at Canton Island and Noumea. These changes are not surprising in view of the fact that Kingman Reef offers no facilities for a land base, flying-boats having to be refuelled from a floating base, and that there are certain geographical difficulties associated with a call at Pago Pago. For the smaller Sikorsky to call at Pago Pago was not difficult, but the difficulties of caHing there with the larger type were one of the factors that made it impossible for the company to use one of its Martin flying-boats on the South Pacific run. Latest developments effectively disI pose of persistent rumours that the | company intended abandoning its plans to come to Auckland, and that Sydney or Brisbane would become the southern terminal of the route. The view that the service would come to Auckland as originally intended was recently expressed by the Prime Minister.