SAMOAN CLIPPER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22928, 5 January 1938, Page 13

SAMOAN CLIPPER

HONOLULU REACHED REMARKABLY FAST TRIP AIR MAIL CONNECTION OVER £4IOO FROM STAMPS Arriving at Honolulu at 11.45 a.m. yesterday, Honolulu time, after a remarkably fast flight of 6 hours 15 minutes from Kingman Reef, the Pan American Airways Samoan Clipper appears to have made the journey from New Zealand in time to transfer her air mail to the Martin flying-boat leaving that day for San Francisco. "I am positive that the connection was made, although I have had no official advice on the subject," said Mr. Harold Gatty, representative in New Zealand for Pan American Airways, last evening. "The company would never permit a mail coming from such a distance to miss the regular air service to San Francisco when at the most it would only mean detaining the Martin flying-boat for a very brief period. The Martin aeroplane flies through the night, bo that holding it back would make little difference. After all, the company is concerned in making a success of the air service from New Zealand, and had the mail missed I think it would have advised our New Zealand office of the fact." Details of Air Mall The Samoan Clipper left Kingman Reef at 5.30 a.m. yesterday, Honolulu time. Its arrival at Honolulu at 11.45 a.m. means that since its departure from Auckland at 3 a.m. (New Zealand time) on Sunday, its actual period in the air to its destination was 29 hours 12 minutes.

The mail it carried realised £4145 in the sale of stamps and comprised 25,03J letters. The mail for San Francisco and beyond, transhipped to the Martin Clipper which will arrive off tho American mainland to-day, comprised 12,814 ordinary letters and 2808 registered letters. The Samoan Clipper also had 3172 ordinary letters for Honolulu and 353 registered, and it left 5185 ordinary and 702 registered letters at Pago Pago. Martin Clipper's Schedule

The ordinary time for departure of the Martin Clipper, which* makes a weekly flight from Honolulu to San Francisco, is from noon to 1 p.m., Honolulu time, so that the New Zealand mail was probably placed on board the machine without the necessity for interfering with its scheduled time for departure.

The Samoan Clipper is due to return to Auckland next Wednesday, and t<f leave again on January 15. It will again carry mail and express freight, but there is no intention to carry passengers as yet. One really spectacular aspect of the Clipper's take-off from the Waitemata early on Sunday morning was its great speed over the water, estimated at the time it was put into the air at 100 miles an hour. Experts consider that Captain Edwin C. Musick could have taken off earlier than he did, but that lie deliberately prolonged the journey over the water, as the course was clear and smooth, in order to rise quickly. The Clipper actually travelled well over a mile on the water, and when it rose it did so quite sharply.

It was intended that Mr. F. Mc"Kenzie, Pacific Division engineer to Pan American Airways, who planned and superintended the erection of the Auckland base, should leave with the Clipper last Sunday, but he was unable to complete arrangements. He is yet undecided whether he will leave by steamer for America on Monday or wait until the return of the Clipper.