RETURN OF CENTAURUS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22932, 10 January 1938, Page 8

RETURN OF CENTAURUS

The Imperial Airways flying-boat | Centaurus will take off this morning outward bound for England. Her route-survey mission will be completed when the Tasman is behind her once more. No one doubts her capacity to perform her task according to schedule. A few years ago civilian aviation set about cultivating the air sense in this country, which, by reason of its remoteness, had lagged behind in that regard. To-day the leeway has been made up and there is a supreme spirit of confidence that no technical difficulties stand in the way of the extension of the regular services to Australia. Soon, it is hoped, New Zealanders may literally "take hold of the wings of the morning" and settle in Sydney at noon. Soon, surely, will the Dominion's inclusion in the "all-up" Empire air mail give Southampton the status of a central post office. While still people in England and South Africa were writing for the once-a-week post of 17 or 18 days, the Imperial Airways flying-boat Centurion had established the "all-up" service. "When the Empire air mail scheme is complete," said the Times a few weeks ago, "and the great partnership is in full action for the common end, with direct services from Great Britain to Malaya, Australia and New Zealand, as well as to Africa ,and India, when the air is the iiegular, the compulsory, route for all the Empire's letters, a great idea will have been realised, and dreams which must have sometimes seemed fantastic even to the dreamers will be solid fact." The Centaurus is making her substantial contribution toward the fulfilment of that dream. Another craft of the company, the Cordelia, did her part not long ago when she carried out fresh survey operations between Karachi and Singapore. The Cavalier, sister-ship of the Centaurus, running during the past year between Bermuda and New York, has no doubt placed valuable experience into the general pool. These are portentous days in distance aviation, civil and military. The best of wishes, wishes of the family sort, are extended, to Captain Burgess and his ship's company for their return flight.