SAFETY IN AIR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23490, 30 October 1939, Page 6

SAFETY IN AIR

SCIENCE. AND SKILL NO LONGER AN ADVENTURE EFFICIENCY OF "FLYING BOAT Precautions taken for safety modern commercial aviation were vividly brought home to passengers who flew from Auckland to Sydney and back in the flying-boat,. Aotearoa between October 13 and 15. Members of the crew were bombarded with questions relating to the machine and its naviga--tiori, and it was gradually borne upon the travellers that flying is no longer, an adventure. Science and technical skill have made it a business, and one that will play an increasingly important part in New Zealand's life. • Since the Aotearoa carried almost a double crew, the extra officers making, the trip for purposes of training, there were always experts available to reply to eager inquiries, and passengers were able also to see for themselves how dangers have been overcojne. Both' women passengers, Mrs. P. Fraser wife of the acting-Primu Minister, and Mrs. J. T. Waugh, wife of his secretary, were keenly interested both in the accuracy of the navigation and the manner in which ample reserve of power made it possible to forecast the timß of arrival to within a few min. utes. Hugo Petrol Consumption Motorists on board had visions of-petrol-coupons when they learned that the Aotearoa used about 1000 of fuel to flyJrom Auckland to Sydney, and a similar quantity for the return journey. They were also grateful for the modest appetites of their family cars on being told that the tank feeding each engine with lubricating oil held 30 gallons, more titan enough to supply the ordinary motorist for two. years. • Mysteries qi the constant-speed propellets, which vary the. pitch of tho blades in response tothrottle movements, and vini'tlally act as a gearbox does in a motor-car, also impressed the travellers. There was comfort if it was needed in the knowledge • that although the journey was of only about 1200 miles, enough fuel is-carried to *give the Aotearoa a range of over 2000 miles, a margin to satisfy the most timorous passenger. Power ot Engines All on board were impressed by the manner in which the four big engines lifted the Aotearoa off the water in about half a minute. The explanation came later, when an engineer told the passengers that there was a total of 3600 horse-power available to whisk the weight of 21J tons into the air, and that at normal cruising speed the horse-power drawn from the engines was between 2500 and 2800. A crust of ice, gradually building up over the leading edge of the wing, round the carburetter intakes'and all over the bracing wires for the wing-tip floats could be clearly seen. Passengers understood then how ice can in some circumstances bring a machine,;, down dangerously low, and in a-few nnifyjtes they learned how a pilot can rid his craft of this unwelcome burden. At a slightly lower altitude, free of the moisture-laden clouds, the machine flew into warmer air, „and the ice melted steadily, until the t Aotearoa was free of the extra weight. . Advance Precautions 1 " : Passengers had been told to expecti a fast trip, with a fair amount of cloud,' and good flying conditions.-The forecast was fulfilled to the letter, and this called for an explanation of the mysteries of meteorology. Those on - board learned of the weather maps, of the reports carefully "collected from half a hundred centres, and of the skilled scientists who plotted the course in advance. Some of the elements of . navigation were explained, and passengers found themselves speaking learnedly of azimuths, bubble-sextants and radio-bearings. Regret was general among the travellers, when the flight ended. All agreed that their experience had converted them to air travel, and one spoke for the party when he said: 'I would like" to be going again tomorrow." The Aotearoa's crew was as follows: —Commander, Captain J. W. Burgess; first officers, Messrs. TV. J. Craig and F. B. Chapman; second officers, Messrs. C. A. Macdonald and G. R. White; flight engineers, Messrs. A. S. Peek and E. R. McNamara: radio operators, Messrs. G. W. Cussans* and -A. C. . Whillatis; flight clei-k, Mr. R. A. Phillips; steward,. Mr. L. G. McMillan.