WINGING SOUTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22934, 12 January 1938, Page 10

WINGING SOUTH

CLIPPER'S FLIGHT FINAL STAGE TO-DAY EXPECTED IN AFTERNOON FREIGHT FROM AMERICA Bringing the first freight carried by air between the United States and New Zealand, the Pan American Airways' Samoan Clipper is expected to reach Auckland from Pago Pago, American Samoa, about five o'clock this afternoon. The Clipper left Kingman Reef at 4.35 o'clock yesterday morning and landed at Pago Pago at 4.56 in the afternoon, New Zealand time. Air freight aboard the Sikorsky includes packages for Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Timaru, Sydney and Melbourne. Though no details of the goods are known in Auckland, firms expect a radio set and a typewriter to be among the articles shipped from American manufacturers. No Details of Cargo Until the hills of lading arrive with the cargo, Mr. A. L. Lewis, airport manager for the company in New Zealand, will not know whether shipments for the south are to travel by rail from Auckland or'by air. Arrangements will be made for the Australian section of the freight to be shipped to its destination by the fastest possible means. Though he has no details of the Clipper's cargo, Mr. Lewis said that the fact that there were packages for so many destinations seemed a good beginning. The Samoan Clipper is not carrying mail from the United States on her present trip. No obstacles in the path of the Clipper on her flight from Pago Pago to Auckland to-day were indicated by the forecast prepared from weather maps last night by Mr. E. B. Buxton, the Pan American meteorologist in Auckland. The forecast was for generally favourable conditions, with light winds over the greater part of the distance. Command of the Clipper Jn command of the Clipper is Captain Edwin C. Musick. The present trip will probably be his last over the South Pacific route for some time. Though no official announcement has been made from the United States, it was learned when the Clipper was last in Auckland that after the present trip had been completed, the machine would probably make her journeys commanded alternately by Captains W. D. Culbertson and C. Sellers. There is a distinct possibility, however, that Captain Musick will bring the first Boeing to Auckland later in the year. The South Seas Clipper is nearing completion and after full flight tests she will be used on the San Fran-cisco-Auckland run, carrying passengers. SECOND AIR MAIL LETTERS FROM AUSTRALIA Times for the closing of the air mail to be carried by the Pan American Airways Samoan Clipper on her return flight from Auckland to Honolulu are not yet announced, but already letters are being received at the chief post office for the mail. Batches of air mail letters have come from Australia. On the first flight of the Clipper with air mail over the Western Pacific Australian philatelists, unless they had cabled their orders to an agency, had no opportunity to send letters. It is expected that before the second air mail closes there will be a fairly cood proportion of Australian letters.