AIR MAIL SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21640, 4 November 1933, Page 8

AIR MAIL SERVICE

LONDON TO AUSTRALIA'

REPLY TO CRITICISM HIGH COST OF SPEEDING Upf " If the saving were not going to bd worth while then there would be foorrf for criticism," said Mr. W. Hudson Fysh, managing director of Quantas Limited, the well-known Australian commercial aviation company, yesterday, when referring to the objection that 16 days is too long a transit period for the proposed London-Australia air mail service. He said the journey by steamer took 31 days, so that the air service would accomplish the distance in half the time. Mr. Fysh, who was a through passenger by the Monterey from Los Angeles, flew to England from Australia last July in the Imperial Airways survey aeroplane Astraea, which visited Australia under the command of Major Brackley. He has been studying aviation in Europe and America so as to gather information to assist his company in tendering for the Singapore-Australia "leg" of the proposed Imperial Airwayg service from London to Australia. Tenders will close at the end of January. Other Services Compared "I think 16 days for the journey ia comparable to the other world services of a similar nature," said Mr. Fysh. " It will probably vary between 15 and 17 days. The schedule compares favourably with the schedule of Pan-American Airways. In America there are 1300 air lighthouses of 2,000,000 candle power each, which permit night flying. If the London-Australia service were to bo speeded up the erection on the route of similar lighthouses would have to be considered. These could only be erected at colossal cost, and night flying would be necessary. It is far better to lay a new and difficult service on sure foundations and then speed it up as conditions warrant." The Australia-Singapore link would involve the crossing -of the Timor Sea, a distance of 520 miles, which would be the longest ocean crossing of any regular service in the world. Machines of the Astraea type would be very suitable.

Linking New Zealand

Of the total route, the successful tenderer for the Australia-Singapore section would have to provide for 4300 miles, or five days of the total journey in point of time. The time-table had been fixed by the British and Australian Governments and the Australian terminals would be Brisbane and Cootamundra. At these points the local services would connect. A reasonable development within the next 10 years wag an extension of the service to 2S'tw Zealand. Mr. Fysh said he had flown on the air services in Britain, France, Germany, Holland and the United States. He flew from New York' to Los Angeles to join the Monterey, making the journey in one of the latest Boeing aeroplanes, which cruise at 160 miles an hour. The American services were speedier than the British, the greater speed being merely a development to suit the conditions of the countrv. Also, fuel and oil were cheap in the'lljiitea States. Actually, the Imperial Airways service between London and Paris was more impressive than anything he saw. It was a wonderful all-weather ser-' vice. British aviation was moving ahead \ ery fast, and the co-operation of Imperial Airways on the Australian route should be very beneficial. In England and America keen interest was developing in the establishment of an Atlantic air service, and it was believed this would come about within a few vears.