BOEING CUPPER DELAYED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 28 August 1939, Page 6

BOEING CUPPER DELAYED

LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT WEATHER AUCKLAND. 27th August. As a result of essential weather information failing to come from Fiji and Rotumah Island the departure of (he Pan-American Boeing clipper from Canton Island On the third stage of her survey flight to New Zealand vat delayed for a day. The journey from Canton Island to , Noumea, New Caledonia, is to be undertaken to-morrow, and it is considered certain that the machine will not reach Auckland before Wednesday afternoon. The New Zealand representative of Pan-American Airways, Mr HaroW Gatty, said that the Government Meteorological Department provided excellent service in co-operation with Australia and those islands which were administered by New Zealand. However, obesrvations from the Fiji area had proved inadequate. These reports were of the utmost importance, as Fiji lay practically midway on the route between Canton Island and Noumea, i It was lack of information from the Fiji area that had prevented a weather map from being completed at Auckland on Saturday, and consequently the departure of the clipper from Canton Island had been delayed. No meteorological detail# had been received from Fiji from 2 p.m. on Saturday to 9 a.m. to-day, while Rotumah Island, which lay half-way between Canton Island and Noumea, had been silent from Friday morning till thi* morning. Mr Gatty said that the clipper was to have left Canton Island at 4.30 a m. to-day (New Zealand time), but, as a result of the delay, she was now expected to take off at the same hour i (o-morrow. The machine would now not reach Auckland before Wednesday afternoon, and in the event of unfavi ourable weather, her arrival might be later.