AIR LINER LATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23129, 30 August 1938, Page 10

AIR LINER LATE

EXTRA JOURNEY MADE WEATHER CAUSES DELAY SMART TRIP TO MANGERE An unexpected trip to Blenheim from Wellington, followed by unfavourable weather 011 the flight northward, resulted in the north-bound Lockheed airliner of Union Airways on tbe Auck-land-Wellington run reaching Mangere at 5.15 o'clock yesterday afternoon, over two hours behind schedule. The journey was broken by an unusually long stop at New Plymouth, where the pilot waited until a temporary improvement in the weather at Auckland enabled him to continue to Mangere.

Flown by Commander K. A. Brownjohn, the Lockheed, which was due to leave Wellington for Auckland at noon, actually left Hongotai for Blenheim at 12.15 o'clock. The trip was undertaken to maintain the Cook Strait service, tbe Lockheed temporarily replacing one of the do Havilland TJapides normally used 011 the run, which did not make the trip. Tlio monoplane left Blenheim at 1.5 p.m. for Palmerston North, nnd continued en route to Auckland with seven passengers.

On arrival at New Plymouth, Commander Brownjohn was advised by radio from Auckland that the weather at Mangere made it inadvisable to continue immediately. Ho accordingly waited there until an improvement was rej>orted, taking off eventually at 4.] o'clock. The Lockheed made the journey to Mangere in lh. 14m., only a few minutes more than her usual tifne, in spite of unfavourable weather.