AIR MAIL SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21086, 21 January 1932, Page 8

AIR MAIL SERVICE.

WELLINGTON TO WEST COAST. TRIPS MADE IN FAST TIME. RETURN JOURNEY IN DAYLIGHT. [BY telegrafh.—press association.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. An air mail was taken to the "West Coast to-day for the first time when flights from Wellington to Nelson, Westport and Hokitika and back to Wellington were made. M»ils were carried in both directions and each flight was completed over half an hour ahead of schedule time. Mail bags containing 2400 letters were loaded into a Spartan machine at the Rongotai aerodrome. Piloted by Squad-ron-Leader M. C. McGregor, the aeroplane left at 8 a.m. for Nelson and reached there at 9.18, 12 minutes ahead of schedule. The machine landed 720 ordinary letters and 170 registered packets and loaded 934 letters and 34 registered packets. After refuelling the aeroplane left, at 9.35 for Westport, which was reached at 10.50. Here further mails were dropped and collected. Squadron-Leader McGregor continued his journey at 11.12, landing at Hokitika an hour later, 33 minutes ahead of schedule. The aeroplane was to have left on the return trip at 2 p.m., but a large mail was being handled at Hokitika and the machine could not leave until 2.10 p.m. After making two calls en route it landed at Ilongotai at 5.30 p.m., 40 minutes earlier than had been anticipated.