AMERICAN AVIATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22109, 15 May 1935, Page 12

AMERICAN AVIATION

REMARKABLE PROGRESS AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSED ■ • • WASHINGTON, May 5 Vastly impressed by the flight of the Pan-American Airways flying-boat from San Francisco to Honolulu and back, Captain E C. Johnson, Australian Director of Civil Aviation, said on his arrival in Washington that it opened up great; possibilities for Australia. On arriving; in Washington, Captain Johnson- immediately sought out Mr. Eugene Vidal, American Director of Air Commerce, to congratulate him on the flight and enter into a lively discussion on-the'possible linking of the American and .Australian air routes. " America's most amazing developments in aviation —and they are many r—can. De (summed up in the flyingboat's trip, maintaining a perfect pchedule," said Captain Johnson. Within a few weeks, the flying-boat Trill, make another pay-load trip to Honolulu a:nd then proceed in another two hops westward to the Midway Islands a.nd Guam. Pan-American Airways are endeavouring to work out a practical route and service to the (Orient,, . . . v^Suggestecl. Australian Connection How at service connecting Australia tvith. the new line could be accomplished i»;now being discussed. I axn deeply impressed by the magnitude of the air operations in this continent," said .Captain Johnson, who emphasised that a signal step in world air transjport had been accomplished by the flying-boat's trip to Hawaii, and all it implied lie admitted cheerfully that America -was far ahead of Australia in air developments, partly owing to the climatic conditions and the mountainous country, which makes highly developed air. routes more, essential than in Australia. ' " Furthermore," said Captain Johnson, " Britain has not developed speed in her.civil air service quite as much as is. evidentc here,/, but then they have much shorter distances to travel." Important technical developments arising out of the flying-boat's Hawaii trip are being studied by Captain Johnson and his assistants for application to Australian problems along similar lines,. , Flight With Robot Pilot Captain Johnson is tremendously interested in the flight made yesterday by a giant twin-motored low-wing Douglas '-aeroplane, in 11 hours 5 minutes,. from Los Angeles to New York, breaking all previous records. A robot pilot "was at the controls for the greater prirt of the journey. For only three short intervals during the journey of 2400 miles were the controls guicled by human hand. Pilot Tomlinson took the ship over the San Bernardino Mountains in California, and guided it around a snowstorm in Colorado; otherwise the robot was supreme. In a' short time regular passenger flights are planned from California to jfJew York-on a 12-hour schedule.