NEW AIR SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22197, 26 August 1935, Page 13

NEW AIR SERVICE

UNITED STATES TO CHINA INAUGURATION IN OCTOBER FAST JOURNEY PLANNED An announcement that a regular transpacific air service between San Francisco and Hongkong would bo inaugurated by Pan-American Airways about October was made by Mr. Harold Gatt.v, the company's technical adviser, who arrived at Auckland 011 Saturday by the Mariposa from Australia, where he has been visiting relatives. "Experimental flights have already been made from San Francisco to Honolulu and then on to Midway and Wake Islands," said Mr. Gattv. "On the next trip they will probably go right through to Hongkong. Steamers are taking building materials and supplies to the various islands, where bases aro being established "1 think this service is fully justified by the large number of passengers now carried by steamer. Already many passengers have booked their berths in advance. The fares by the air service will be double the steamer rates, but the flying-boats will take only three and a-half days, as against 18 days by the fastest passenger steamer." Mr. Gatty said a number of Martin flving-boats had been ordered for the China service, four of which had been completed. They were being taken over by tho company as quickly as they were manufactured. They were fourengincd machines, and would probably cost aliout £55,000 each. There would be sleeping accommodation for 24 passengers. The machines would have 11 cruising speed of 100 miles an hour. 111 addition, the company would use a number of Sikorsky flying boats, several of which had already been constricted. They were of the Clipper type, with which the present experimental flights were being made. The route that would be followed by the machines, Mr. Gatty continued, would be from San Francisco to Honolulu (2400 miles), Honolulu to Midway Island (1200 miles), Midway Island to Wako Island (1200 miles), Wake Island to Guam (1500 miles), Guam to Manila (1600 miles), and from Manila to Hongkong (1000 miles). Mr. Gatty will remain in Auckland until Thursday, when he will leave for the South. On September 21 he will sail by the Monterey for tho United States. GREAT STRIDES PENDING PROGRESS OF WOULD SERVICES "There is going to be a tremendous .development in airways, externally at all events," said the Minister of Finance, Mr. Coates, who passed through Auckland on Saturday. "By meeting people in the United Kingdom and the United States one was able to gather knowledge of tho tremendous strides already made in air services, of the extensive improvements in machines, in ground organisation and methods generally." Referring to the great Empire air mail project to be inaugurated in 1937, Mr. Coates said he understood that the authorities were now concentrating on determining the types of machine to be used.