EAST COAST FLYING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22461, 3 July 1936, Page 13

EAST COAST FLYING

AERODROME IMPROVEMENTS

FACILITIES AT GISBORNE

[by telegraph—OWN correspondent] GISBORNE. Thursday

Regular flying from the Gisborne aerodrome, Darton Field, will not be resumed until October. Lieutenant E. A. Gibson, engineer-in-charge of the aerodrome construction works, has made a careful inspection of the work carried out in reconstructing the runways at Darton Field, and pointed out that the consolidation must be complete before the ground was used by machines. He fixed October 1 as the approximate date for which the East Coast Airways directorate could make its preparations for resuming the Gisborne-Napier service.

The results obtained on the field sinoe March were the subject of gratified comment by Mr. Gibson. His expression of satisfaction was warmly endorsed by representatives of East Coast Airways, Limited, who were present at the inspection. It was agreed by the representatives of the company that premature resumption of flying from Darton Field might undo much of the work accomplished in recent months. The inspection made by Mr. Gibson also included an area which it is proposed to acquire to extend the aerodrome. It was pointed out that while the present facilities were sufficient for the operation of De Havilland Dragon aeroplanes, with their comparatively low landing-speeds, any extension, of schedules and routes calling for faster machines would necessitate the use of a larger ground. It is mainly with a view to providing facilities for fast trunk-line machines that the extension of Darton Field is contemplated, the goal being the establishment of Gisborne as a port of call on a trunk air service between Auckland and Wellington, via the Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay and Hawke's Bay. The directorate of East Coast Airways is known to have contemplated the introduction of a fast service between Gisborne and Palmerston North, via Napier, to link with the main trunk service connecting with the South Islaud. The project would call for the use of faster machines than those at present employed by the company. Surveys of traffic sources between Napier and Palmerston North have convinced the company that the operation of this service could be successful only if Gisborne traffic could be tapped from the start. It is not proposed, therefore, to lly any portion of the route other than the Gisborne-Napier link, until machipes are available which will permit a daily connection between Gisborne and Palmerston North.