A Great Sight for Aukland Next Year

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23181, 29 October 1938, Page 9 (Supplement)

A Great Sight for Aukland Next Year

INFORMATION contained in recent letters from England and the United States bring New Zealand, and Auckland in particular, another step nearer becoming one of the world's greatest and most important air-route junctions. The latest news is that great factories in the two countries are busy turning out giant machines that will fly across thousands of miles of laud and sea to meet in Auckland. Thousands of Auckland boys saw the Samoan Clipper of Pan American Airways, commanded by that veterau flier, Captain Edwin C. Musiek,

and the Centaurus, of Imperial Airways, under the control of a young New Zealander, Captain Jack Burgess, when they met in Auckland it the beginning of this year. That meeting was but a forerunner of more important meetings to tako place, also jn Auckland, early next year, when a Boeing Clipper of Pan American Airways and a special Empire flyingboat from England will lio side by tside on the Waitemata Harbour not only once, but at regular intervals in the

course of schedule running. Tho disastrous logs of the Samoan Clipper, a Sikorsky SI2B flying-boat, and her gallant crew, headed by Captain M usick, off American Samoa last January, as a result of some mysterious mishap that caused the big cralt to explode in mid-air, was a heavy blow to Pan American Airways, but it did not mean the end of the company's plans for a regular service spanning the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Auckland. On the contrary, it meant only an interruption, but now news has come of the successful test flights of a super-clipper beside which the Sikorsky would look tiny. Residents pi Seattle saw a grand sight about a month ago. Planing down the smootn waters of Puget Sound came one of the world's greatest fly-ing-boats, with a Boeing test pilot, Mr. Edmund Allen, at the controls. As easily as a soaring sea-bird, the nig ship took tho air. and then she sailed round and round over the city, going through a series of tests to make suro that she will bo safe to ride the air half-way across tho world. Test Flights in Seattle Reports of tho tests were most enthusiastic, and the engineers are able now to proceed with the rest of theso huge craft. Six have been ordered, and one of them, named the South Seas Clipper, is destined for the San Fran-cisco-Auckland route. No date has yet been announced for the beginning of the service, but it is expected that early in the New Year, quite soon after Christmas, in fact. Auckland will see this mighty ship of the sky. Weighing over 40 tons, thai is twice as much as the Sikorsky or tho Centaurus. she will land on tho Waitemata and taxi in to the same moorings that tho Samoan Clipper used. English experts too have been busy since tho Centaurus was here. Her flight was the longest survey trip ever undertaken, and it has already resulted in similar craft being able to fly between Sydney and Singapore. It was learned, however, that tfie Centaurus type was not altogether suitable for commercial use over the Tasman, on account of the long stretch of water to bo crossed, and therefore engineers and designers set to work to alter the ships to make them fit to use over this small but stormy sea. Alterations and Improvements To start with, the new ships were specially strengthened, enabling thein to carrv a very much greater load. This, of course, made it possible for more petrol to be carried, and thus the range was increased. Eight of theso ships were ordered from Short Brothers, of Rochester, England, makers of the Empire flying-boats, and a month ago it was announced that the first of them was ready for launching. Plans were also announced at tho same time for another of the series, Cabot, to fly the Atlantic this month.

By AILERON

It was revealed this week by the Minister of Finance for New Zealand, the Hon. Walter Nash, that the three strengthened Empire flying-boats for the Auckland-Sydney service would be called Aotearoa, Australia and Awarua, three very suitable names. Jt was also indicated that there were prospects of the service beginning in February. Prominently associated with the Tasman air service will bo Union Airways of New Zealand, Limited, which already runs important inland air services in the Dominion. The manager of the company, Mr. F. Maurice Clark, is at- present overseas on business connected with the service, and is expected back in New Zealand next month. He will probably bring with him important and definite news about tho machines, and something about the men who fh^them. Suggested Superintendent Although no announcement has been made, it has been suggested that an ideal man for flight superintendent of the company as far as the Tasman service is concerned, would be Captain Burgess. This successful young pilot, who was given so rousing a reception when he brought the Centaurus all the way from England to New Zealand, would certainly he popular with the public, and his appointment would give tho tnan in the street great confidence in the enterprise. Not that it

is in any sense an adventure; it is merely a novel kind of business, but with flying it is always valuable to have a popular and well-known public figure at tho head of: the enterprise. It is believed. that tho two services, British and American, will have bases almost adjoining each other in Mechanics' Bay, Auckland. This is nothing unusual, as already in other parts of the world where Imperial Airways and Pan American Airways operate, there is closo friendship between the two services, although they work independently. This is necessary on account of the differences in methods and equipment, but it is a fiue and heartening thing in these days of disturbed world conditions to find two of the greatest nations working in such harmony and with a common end in view, tho bringing about of ever greater safety and reliability in air transport, and the swift spanning of the globe.