AIR BASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23124, 24 August 1938, Page 12

AIR BASE

WELLINGTON HARBOUR COMMITTEE'S VIEW NO GREAT OPTIMISM VAGARIES OF WEATHER fIJY TELKGRAFH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Tuesday Although no official statement has been issued on the matter, it is believed that the report of the expert committee which recently investigated the possibilities of Wellington harbour us a flying-boat base does not reveal any great degree of optimism. The report has been delivered to the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, but it has yet to be considered by the Cabinet. The understanding at present is that the committee takes a serious view of the vagaries of climate frequently experienced in Wellington, particularly with regard to wind and fog. Jho conelusions reached by the experts m«iy even have a bearing on the proposal to run the Tasinan air mail service over a triangular route embracing Sydney, Auckland and Wellington, and it is fairly safe to assume that if the service is extended in this manner after the Sydney-Auckland link is in operation, extensive protective works will have to be carried out in the vicinity of any proposed flying-boat base in Wellington harbour. It was announced in November last that the Government had appointed the following committee to advise on the suitability of Wellington harbour for a flying-boat base: —Mr. J. Wood. Engineer-in-Chief of the Public "Works Department (chairman); Group-Cap-tain the Hon. P. A. Cochrane; Wing(Jommander T. M. Wilkes; Mr. E. A. Gibson, engineer-in-charge of aerodrome services in the Public Works Department; Mr. E. P. McKillop, Wellington city engineer; Commander G. O. Bolt, of Cook Strait Airways; and' Commander 13. A. Pljthe, of Union Airwavs. The committee was asked to advise the Government as to the suitability of Wellington Harbour for the landing and taking off of flying boats such as would operate on the proposed transtasman and Pan American services.