TRIAL FLIGHT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22900, 1 December 1937, Page 12

TRIAL FLIGHT

THE PACIFIC ROUTE CLIPPER TO RETURN EARLY START PLANNED AT HONOLULU TO-DAY By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received November 30, 8.1-1 p.m.) MANILA, Nov. 20 Pan American Airways has announced that the Clipper now in use on the Manila-Hong Kong route is expected to return to Honolulu on December 1 to begin an experimental flight to }*ew Zealand. Officials of the company in New; Zealand have not yet received advice of the Clipper's movements, although they expect that the original arrangement, for the flight to Auckland to commence in the first week of December, will be kept. , . .. The Clipper to make the second of three survey flights which must be completed before mail can be carried oyer the route is the Sikorsky 5.428. machine that flew from San branciseo to Auckland in 40h 20m flying time late in March this year. On her return flight she was intercepted at Honolulu and diverted to the Orient route, and since then has been in regular service on the final section of the long ocean airway. Swift Journey Likely Before the second survey flight can be commenced, the long-range tanks installed in the Clipper for the first visit to New Zealand will have to be mounted again. This work will presumably be done at the company's base at Honolulu. Since the Clipper's second flight southward will be of only 41550 miles, compared with the 6750 of the first .journey from San Francisco, flying time will probably be in the vicinity of 30 hours. She should fly from Honolulu to Kingman Reef, where the company has provided a floating base in the ship Margaret Sterling, a distance of 1100 miles, in about eight hours. The next section of 1 100 miles, to Pago I'ago, should occupy 10 hours, and the final section, from Pago Pago to Auckland, 1850 miles, between 11 and 12 hours. Provision of Airports Arrangements for bases along the route were made by Mr. F. McKenzie, Pacific division airport engineer of the company, who is at present superintending the provision of facilities in Auckland. He said yesterday that the Margaret Sterling had left Seattle in ample time to have reached Kingman .Reef, and the base at Pago Pago was complete. . Work is progressing rapidly in Auckland. The airport' building is taking shape, and the floating gear is Hearing completion. Special radio sets have arrived, and are to be installed at the company's two stations, one at Russell and the other in Auckland, within the next few days. Meanwhile communication with Pago Pago is being maintained by the sets sent from the United States and installed in Auckland prior to the first survey flight. When she first visited Auckland the Clipper was commanded by Captain Edwin C. Musick, who had with him a special crew. The personnel for the next flight has not yet been announced.