TASMAN FLYING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24956, 27 July 1944, Page 7

TASMAN FLYING

GROWTH SEMICE NO INTERRUPTION BY WAR Iti spite of war difficulties and, fori many months, the Japanese menace i/ the Sonlli Pacific, Tasman Enjpire A/r----uuy.s' Tasman service has ntyer been restricted and the flight schedule /has actually been steadily inereasted.. The original once-weekly return sefrvlce between Auckland and Sydney was increased to thrice fortnightly to co|K» with through passengers wfhen Pan American Airways' Clippers started running from Sail Francisco iniSeptemher, 1940; ten months after vhe Ptsarl Liarhour attack and the cessation of/the Clipper service in the Paciftb Tasman Kmpire Airways started a tp/ice-weekly timetable; and the tlfcrce-weekly schedule, which has been operating l since June 12, indicates tlue/inctjeasiiig demands of passengers, maffl and cango. Maintaining an important link in the chain of Empire air comjmuuicivtions, Tasman Airways has builtj an etrviahle record in air transport. Four years after the inaugural commercial flight of April 30, 1940, the foiur-engined Short flying-boats had made/624 Tasman crossings, carrying more thian 9000 passengers over 8:?").900 mile** the equivalent of 3:1 times round the world at the lCquator. Over 200 tons of jnail—the weight of more than 22 million air-mail; letters —had been carried, in addition] to freight and baggage of more than 240 tons. These figures have increased considerably in the last few months, and all this has been accomplished' withofit loss of load or injury to'pas- ( sengers and crews. Records of Captaini Over four years, the westward crossing to Sydney has averaged % 22m, and the eastward crossing 8h 13m. The record times are 7b 8m and oh 56m respeci ively. Prevailing westerly winds cause the difference. Chief pilot of the service is. Captain Oscar Garden, who in 1930 flew/his Moth from ling I and to Australia and who arrived in command of the flying-boat Awarua on its delivery flight from England in April, 1940. He succeeded Captain J. \Y. Burgess, surveyor of the ajr route from England to New Zealand in the Empire flying-boat Centaurus in 1937-38. Captain Burgess, who brought the first machine, the Aotearoa, on its delivery flight in August, 1939, rejoined British Overseas Airways at Baltimore early last year. Associated with Captain Garden are Captain C. Griffiths and Captain K. A. Brownjohu. As first officer, Captain Griffiths arrived on the delivery flight of the Awarua. and after a year as acting-captain his full rank was confirmed in February, 1943. A former Union Airways commander, Captain Brownjohn joined the company as first officer in July, 1940. was made aciingcaptain in February, 194.'?, and bis rank was confirmed on June 1, 1944. Captain W. J. Craig, who accompanied Captain Burgess on the delivery flight of the Aotearoa as first officer, left the company in August. 1941. and alter a short period with the Jt..N.Z.A.I*, rejoined British Overseas Airways. The Technical Side In the charge of .Mr H. 0. Houchen and latterly Mr G. B. Bolt, a veteran New Zealand pilot and engineer, engineering facilities installed by Mr L. E. Turrull, then of Imperial Airways' Bermuda-New York service, have in the main been responsible for the regularity and reliability of the flying-boats. Mr Houchen returned to British Overseas Airways early this year. Mr Bolt now lias in his safe keeping this vital section, which, with painstaking attention to detail! attends the care of the machines. Mr Bolt, who has held the rank of wingcommander in the K.N.Z.A.F., has been connected with commercial aviation since the last war. when lie was an instructor at ihe Walsh Brothers' Mission Bay flying school. Mr J. R. Coulson, service engineer, and Mr G. N. Weils, in charge of engine shop inspection, are both from British Overseas Airways. _ With experience with East Coast Airwavs and on the pilot staff of Union Airways. Mr E. A. Robinson, former traffic superintendent, is now resident manager in Auckland. Mr H. Jenkins is now superintendent of the traffic division, which is responsible for the smooth handling of passengers, mail and cargo. Directors representing the Uuiteci Kingdom. Australia and New Zealand were appointed to the board which controls Tasman Empire Airways, an undertaking which was registered with ! a capital of £500,000. The directors are Mr N. S. Falla, chairman, and managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company, Mr A. E. Kiiddcr, of British Overseas Airways (United Kingdom), Sir Fergus McMaster, chairman of Qantas Empire Airways, Mr Hudson Fvsli managing director of the same company (Australia"). Mr T. A. Barrow, Air Secretary, and Mr C. G. White, a director of* the Union Steam Ship Company (New Zealand). MONEY FOR WHISKY FALSE PRETENCE PROVED A verdict of guilty on two counts was returned by a jurv yesterday in the case in which William Lewis Gentry, wharf labourer, aged 40 (Mr M. Robinson), was charged with the theft of £6O from Ralph Pohio. There were alternative charges of receiving the money for the purchase of whisky and fraudulently converting it to his own use, and of obtaining the money by the false pretence that lie could and would purchase whisky with it. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr V. 11. Meredith, conducted the prosecution. Continuing his evidence, William Ngatai said he had given the money to accused on Pohio's behalf. Accused did not bring the whisky, but disappeared. When witness saw him later accused ran away, hut witness chased him and put a headloek on him and held on to him until the police came. His Honor directed the jury to return ■a verdict of not guilty on the charge of theft, because the legal definition of theft, involved the taking of propI ert.v without the owner's consent. Tlfey were, however, entitled to find a verdict of guilty on the second and third counts of fraud and false pretences. His Honor commented that the way in which Pohio and Ngatai had given their evidence indicated that they were not old hands at this sort of business. The jury found accused guilty on both the second and third counts after a brief retirement, and accused was remanded for sentence. DISTILLING APPARATUS CHARGE OF POSSESSION (P.A.) PALMERSTON NTH., Wednesday Following a raid by the police on a private garage in the city on Monday evening. Joseph Patrick Queenan, aged 52. of Miro Street, was charged in the Magistrate's Court with having in his possession a stillhead and worm suitable for distilling, also with having apparatus suitable for distilling. Defendant made an application for the suppression of his name, hut the magistrate stated that he had no jurisdiction in this respect, as defendant had a previous conviction against him on another matter. On the application of Senior-Detec-tive Meiklejolm the case Mas adjourned to August. 10.