EMPIRE AIRSHIP MISSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20361, 19 March 1928, Page 7

EMPIRE AIRSHIP MISSION.

ACCOUNT OF ITS WORK. PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE. (From Odr Own Correspondent.) LONDON, January 19. The Airship Mission has now returned to England after visiting Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and India,_ and it is reported that the results achieved are satisfactory. A considerable amount of spade work in connection with the proposed Empire airship routes has been accomplished, and throughout the Dominions the mission found great interest displayed in the proposals, especially among business and commercial concerns. The possibilities of the airship, in providing quicker communication with the Mother Country, were in nearly every case fully appreciated. In every centre visited (the journal Flight reports) the mission was well received and given every possible assistance in its work. The mission has placed before _ each dominion a full statement regarding the main requirements for the operation of the routes. A choice of sites for airship bases has been drawn up in India and Ceylon. Australia. New Zealand, Tasmania, and South Africa, while ' certain intermediate bases have been considered in the Cocos Islands and on the east and west coasts of Africa. As a result of a survey of these bases, a provisional skeleton of the chief commercial airship routes has been prepared. These routes, are much the same as those put forward at the Imperial Conference in 1926, but it is pointed out that the actual programme tor the future necessarily depends upon the results of the exhaustive series of trials which will have first to be carried out at Home with the new airships. These routes may briefly be outlined as follows:—England to Canada (Ottawa) or Newfoundland; England to Capetown, either via Cairo, Aden and east coast of Africa,-or- via the west coast of Africa; England to India and Ceylon via Cairo and Karachi; and England to Australia and New Zealand, by way of India and Cocos Island, or by way of Africa. ROUTES TO THE DOMINIONS. The first demonstration services, which will follow the conclusion of the home trials, will, it is planned, be made across the Atlantic to Canada, and to South Africa—although trial flights along the India route may be possible—owing to the fact that a base in each dominion is available. In this way, provided these first flights are successful, it will be possible to obtain some valuable and practical experience in the operation of airships under sub-arctic, temperate, subtropical, and tropical conditions. Subsequently these services, having proved successful, lony-r and more ambitious services will be undertake*!—to Australia and New Zealand. While the obvious commercial route to the Antipodes would be via India, Ceylon, and Cocos Island, it is expected that the first flights will be via Capetown. The reason for this is because it would not be possible to fly along this route without intermediate bases for re-fuelling, and also on account of adverse winds from Ceylon. On the other hand, the other route to Australia would be better, with bases at Cairo and Capetown, and with a favourable wind available. On the homeward journey, however, the India route becomes a more reasonable proposition, the adverse winds over the Ceylon section then being favourable. In any case, the first demonstration flights must be arranged to follow the routes which entail the least possible expenditure on ground bases, etc., after which, should sufficient support be forthcoming from business concerns in the dominions, the whole question of airship routes will be further, developed. WORK ACCOMPLISHED. In South Africa four possible bases were surveyed near Capetown and four others near Durban, but the final selection has yet to be made by the South African Government. Good work was also accomplished in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.

Possible Bites were surveyed at Perth* Fremantle, Adelaide. Melbourne, and Sydney; at Burnie, Devonport, Hobart, and Launceston in Tasmania; at. Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington, m New Zealand. At the request of Mr Bruce, the mission supplied special information regarding Empire airships to many of the chainbers of commerce and business concerns in Australia—and, i n fact, was kept so busy meeting the demands for informsfJoll that the stay in Australia was extended considerably over the time originally planned. Id New Zealand also interest was very keen (the article concludes), so much so that the Premier convened a joint session of the Houses of Parliament at which Group-captain Fellowes gave an address of some length on the subject, numerous questions on various details being discussed and answered . immediately after. Reports were presented to Doth the Australian and the New Zealand Governments, and each has put in hand _ the preliminary meteorological organisation.