LUXURY FLYING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21076, 9 January 1932, Page 10

LUXURY FLYING.

BATHS ON AEROPLANES. GAS STOVES FOR COOKING. SAFETY OF PASSENGERS. "Tho flourishing state of aviation in America is very impressive to a New Zealander," said Captain G. B. Bolt, pilot engineer for the Wellington Aero Club, who returned by the Sierra yesterday from a visit to the United States for the purpose of inspecting the latest light Amen* can aeroplanes. "One of the most noticeable things about the conduct of the large air line services is that rough-weather or blind flying is not practised when passengers are being carried, ' said Captain Bolt. "This greatly increases the safety factor. The big passenger aeroplanes are fitted with •wireless and receive weather reports from headquarters every half-hour during their journey. When rough weather is reported ahead they take no risks and effect a landing at the nearest railway station, where the passengers are requested to finish their journey by train. Flying, in consequence, is absolutely safe." Captain Bolt said that some of the large American corporations employed aeroplanes to carry their directors and executive officers from place to place. These aeroplanes were sumptuously fitted out with sleeping bunks and bathrooms, so that before landing the passengers could rise from their beds, have a hot bath and commence their duties refreshed. Gas stoves were employed in the machines for cooking meals, and tho cabins were artificially heated in cold weather by means of pipes leading from the engine's ex-

No less than 70 air line maciisuw entered one of San Francisco's air ports every day, said Captain Bolt. The runways at the Los Angeles air port were 3600 ft. long, and to assist the machines in landing at night eight searchlights, giving a total of 64,000,000 candle-power, illuminated the runways from the top of the direction tower. Perhaps the most interesting service was the Varney Speed Line, whose aeroplanes, carrying six passengers, made two return trips each way daily between San Francisco and Los Angeles, covering the distance of 350 miles in 1 hour 40 minutes. So popular was the service that one had to book days ahead to bo sure of a seat.

Passenger fares by the air lines, he added, were only 20 to 40 per cent, higher than the railway fares, with the result that the railways were all feeling the competition keenly.