NEW FLYING BOATS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22628, 16 January 1937, Page 12

NEW FLYING BOATS

EMPIRE AIR LINERS PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN VISIT [from our own correspondent] SYDNEY, Jan. 8 Arrangements are being made .for one of the new Empire flying boats to visit Australia and New Zealand. The' visit will take the form of a goodwill flight to Australia and a survey flight to New Zealand.

The date of the flight is dependent on the Commonwealth Government. It may be made before the coronation. One of the long-range boats will be used, and it is expected that it wi.ll make a sevenday flight to Sydney, and. after a short stay, proceed with t'lbe survey flight to New Zealand before returning to Britain.

Captain P. G. Taylor, most experienced living transtasman flier, hns offered fullest co-operation with Imperial Airways, provided Australian and New Zealand pilots and engineers are employe*] on the route. "In my opinion the Empire flying boats are by far the most advanced flying boat service in any part of the world, and on performance figures, they would be an ideal craft for the transtasman service," said Captain Taylor. A number of Australian pilots are expected to be sent to England next year to train on the Empire flying boats. Qantas-Empire Airways pilots are to fly the 18-ton air mail flying boat' on the Singapore-Australian section-.