AUCKLAND AS AIRPORT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22071, 29 March 1935, Page 10

AUCKLAND AS AIRPORT

The question of substituting flying boats for land 'planes on the Singapore-Sydney section of the air route to Australia is engaging attention. The deputy-Director of Civil Aviation, who recently made a tour of investigation in Australia, states that between Darwin and Sydney flying boats would be more constantly employed than land 'planes, giving more economic operation, while there was no guarantee that aerodromes could be made suitable for taking in all weathers the giant machines of the future. It is understood that the upkeep of flying boats is greater than that of land machines owing to salt water corrosion making overhauls more frequent and repair costs greater. This disadvantage may well be outweighed by the liability to interruption of land 'plane service due to the causes mentioned. The employment of amphibians might be suggested as a compromise, but seeing that schedule running is the all-important consideration Jn Imperial air services, there is. little likelihood of alternative land and •sea routes between Darwin and Sydney being selected. New Zealand interest in'the question is heightened by the statement of the Civil Aviation authority that flying boats will be necessary for the Tiisman link. If that is the consensus of expert opinion it may well be the determining argument for the use of such craft between Singapore and Sydney. Assuming the flying boat is decided upon there will be no question as to the New Zealand terminal of the Empire route. Auckland unquestionably will be the port, seeing that it possesses two harbours upon which calm water for landing can be found in any weather. There may be objections to the Manukau on account of the extent of shallow reaches at low tide, but, some part of the Waitemata would always be in a condition to take craft of this class. New Plymouth has been counting upon the aerodrome of that town being made the terminal in view of the advantage of shorter distance and that of Mount Egmont making so prominent a landfall, but it does not possess the necessary sheltered water that large flying boats require. Auckland being the only possible port, an unanswerable argument is presented for this city being made the terminal of the trunk air route. The Transport Co-ordina-tion Board has already been provided with overwhelming reasons why the air trunk line for a national service should have Auckland as its northern terminal!, and the probability of the coming Tasman service having no other alternative should clinch the matter once and for all. Indeed, the whole of New Zealand, not excluding Palmerston North, which has been making absurd pretensions about its 'suitability as the North Island trunk terminal, would demand that the national air service should link with the Tasman service for the sake of expedition in the distribution of the British and Australian air mailß. The South Island would have ground for bitter complaint if its air mail had to lie for a night in the Main Trunk train.