TASMAN FLYING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23601, 9 March 1940, Page 13

TASMAN FLYING

PLANS FOR SERVICE MANY PASSAGES SOUGHT MEN AND WOMEN INQUIRE While no official advice of the inauguration of the Tasman air service has been received by Tasman Empire Airways. Limited, in Auckland, routine preparations begun when the base was established are being continued to schedule. The flying-boat Aotearoa landed on the Kaipara Harbour for the third time this week, when a site at Aotea was selected as an emergency alighting area. Another area had been chosen earlier at Cornwallis, on the Manukau, and both are to be buoyed by the Public Works Department. Meanwhile the company continues to be inundated with inquiries from prospective passengers, but so far it has not been able to accept one of the many bookings sought, because of lack of definite information concerning the service. Both men and women, residents of various parts of New Zealand, have been among the applicants, and an inquiry was also received 011 behalf of a group of 10 businessmen who wished to attend a conference in Sydney. Present indications are that there will be no lack of passengers.

The second machine likely to be released from Britain for the transtasnian service, the Awarua, will be flown to Auckland by Captain Oscar Garden if present plans are unaltered. He will have with him First-Officer Griffiths and radio operator G. W. Cussans. who flew from England to Auckland with Captain J. W. Burgess in the Aotearoa and later returned, in addition to a second officer, an engineer and probably a steward. Both the Aotearoa and the Awarua will bo based at Auckland. There has been no advice as to whether the third machine originally intended for the transtasman run, the Australia, lias yet gone back into service after a mishap last year. The boat struck a submerged object while on the water at Basra, and was flown back to England after temporary repairs had been made.