PACIFIC FLIGHT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23708, 15 July 1940, Page 6

PACIFIC FLIGHT

CLIPPER ON THE WAY ARRIVAL AT HONOLULU CANTON ISLAND TO-DAY LARGE MAIL CARRIED Inaugurating a regular air service across the South Pacific from the United States to New Zealand, the American Clipper has arrived at Honolulu from San Francisco in the course of her 8000-mile journey to Auckland. The flight, which will be continued to Canton Island to-day, is described so far as being merely a matter of routine. Commanded by Captain J. H. Tilton, chief pilot of the Pacific division of Pan American Airways, the Clipper left San Francisco according to schedule for Los Angeles. In accordance with Pan American practice, the 2583-mile hop from Los Angeles to Honolulu was made as a night flight, the flying-boat landing in Hawaii at 8.30 a.m., local time, or 6.30 a.m. (Sunday), New Zealand time. The machine is to take off at 3.30 a.m. this morning, New Zealand time, for Canton Ifjjand, a journey of 1915 miles. A. Press Association cable message from Los Angelos stated that the president of Pan American Airways, Mr. Juan T. Trippe, at a ceremony marking the departure of the Clipper, announced that high altitude flying would bo introduced in the spring of 1941. This would enable flying time on the Los Angeles-Honolulu hop to be reduced to nine hours.

From Canton Island, the route of the Clipper is via Noumea to Auckland, where she is scheduled to-arrive early on Thursday afternoon. Included in the mail of 125,000 letters is a substantial quantity for Australia, and this will cross the Tasman to Sydney by means of the Tasman Empire Airways service on the following Monday.