DOMINION AIR LINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21471, 20 April 1933, Page 11

DOMINION AIR LINE

LINKING-UP THE CITIES USING THREE MACHINES KINGSFORD SMITH INTERESTED [by telegraph OWN corrbGpoxdext] DUNEDIN, Wednesday The organisation of a Dominion air service which will link up the principal centres as far south as Christchurch and perhaps Timaru, was stated to-day by Mr. H. M. Mackay, managing director of New Zealand Airways, to be well in hand. It is hoped to inaugurate the service in October next. Three machines, one of which has already been purchased in Sydney for the company, will be used in the service, which it is hoped will ultimately form the foundation of a regular transtasman air line.

The passenger aeroplane Southern Sky, which was secured from Australian National Airways, was purchased at a cost of £3150, not £2150 as previously cabled, said Mr. Mackay. This machine, which was one of several used by Australian National Airways, was an Avro 10 of a design, somewhat similar to the Southern Cross and was one of the fleet used in the Melbourne-Tasmania,, Mel-bourne-Sydney, and Sydney-Brisbane services, having been flying on these lines for some 12 months. The machine would carry up to 14 passengers and was powered with three ArmstrongSiddeley Lynx engines of 230 horse power each. It was much faster than the Southern Cross, having a cruising speed of 100 miles an hour. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith had specially recommended this type of aeroplane as most suitable for the proposed service. Sir Charles was identifying himself with the project, in which he would be interested financially, while he would also take a position on the directorate of the company. Captain I'. G. Taylor, co-pilot on the recent transtasman flights, was also interested in the formation of the service and both he and Sir Charles had announced their intention of assisting in its inauguration. /

Some difficulties in the organisation of a Dominion service presented themselves, Mr. Mackav said, one of them being the inaccessibility of the aerodrome at Taieri during cloudy weather and also the distance it was away from the city, facts which militated against an extension of the service to Dunedin in the meantime. Another hurdle which had to be faced was the lack of good landing facilities for large aircraft at Wellington, but it was hoped that these would be overcome in the near future.

It was probable that the machine already purchased would fly across the Tasman, piloted by Captain Taylor and accompanied by the Southern Cross.