UNION AIRWAYS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22776, 11 January 1936, Page 12

UNION AIRWAYS

FIRST SURVEY FLIGHT WHOLE ROUTE COVERED PALMERSTON NORTH TO DUNEDIN Breakfast in Palmerston North, lunch in Timaru, and dinner in Dunedin was the unusual but pleasing experience of the passengers who travelled yesterday in the Union Airways, Ltd., four-engined express air liner Kotuku on the first of its survey flights oyer the route which the company will operate on a regular service from next Thursday. By surface transport they would have had to travel half a day,, all the next night and most of the following day to cover the same distance.

Before scheduled running is begun the machines of the company are to he flown over the route daily, so that the pilots may become familiar with the country which they will have to traverse in carrying passengers. Yesterday Squadronleader M. C. M'Gregor, service manager of the company, was the pilot, and Flying-officer C. M. Duthie the assistant pilot. Among the passengers were Dr M. A. F. Barnett, who is in charge of the special weather reporting service for aircraft which has been introduced by the Meteorological Department, Mr H. C. Walker, aviation officer of the Vacuum Oil Company, Mr W. A. Waters, of Palmerston North, and Mr J. Gamble, of Wellington. THE SOUTHWARD JOURNEY The machine left the Milson Aerodrome, Palmerston North, at 8.40, sped past Kapiti Island less than half an hour later, and covered the 124 miles to Blenheim in exactly an hour. The machine was abreast of Kaikours. within half an hour of the departure from Blenheim, and landed at the Wigram Aerodrome after covering 168 miles in an hour and a-half.

There, Flying-officer G. R. White was about to take off with the Karoro, another oi' the company’s machines, for Palmerston North, and Christchurch had the unusual experience for New Zealand of having two four-engined machines flying over its suburbs at once. The journey from Christchurch to Timaru, a distance of about 90 miles, took only a little over half an hour, but near Oamaru low cloud was encountered, appearing to extend down the coast and also inland. Squadron-leader M'Gregor decided to turn back and take lunch at Timaru, and the machine landed on the Saltwater Creek aerodrome an hour and a-half after setting out from Christchurch. This landing provided an interesting justification of the policy of establishing aerodromes in as many centres. as possible along main routes. Had there been no intermediary landing, ground the machine would have had to put right back to Christchurch. As it was the passengers, had they been in a hurry and had the 1 weather shown, no sign of lifting, could have come on from Timaru by car to Dunedin.

Conditions having improved after lunch, the journey was resumed and the flight from Timaru to Dunedin, about 110 miles, was made in three-quarters of an hour. Despite the turn back to Timaru two of the passengers were able to catch the express train for Invercargill at Dunedin, a connection which would have been impossible by any other means of transport in one day from Palmerston North.

The arrival of the machine at the Taieri aerodrome, Dunedin, created considerable interest, as did its landing at Timaru, a crowd gathering very quickly after the descent of the nlane there. RADIO COMMUNICATION Throughout the flight radio communication was maintained becween the plane and ground stations at Palmerston North, Blenheim, Christchurch and Dunedin, the machine reporting the progress of its flight while the ground stations gave reports of weather and also of the reception of the messages from the machine. From Palmerston North to Christchurch Mr R. J. Gibbs, tbs radio expert of the ground staff of the Royal New Zealand Air Force at Wigram aerodrome, was a passenger, assisting in the testing of the radio equipment. The course of the plane took it out over the sea just south of Foxton, till the , coast of Marlborougu was reached, when passengers werg given intriguing glimpses of the Marlborough Sounds. From Blenheim the machine skirted the coast till it reached the rolling down country of North Carterbnry, and f rom Christchurch it sped along over the extensive Canterbury Plains with the Southern Alps further inland hidden by the low clouds. Below Timaru the course was shaped close to Waimate and Oamaru, and then over the Horse Range to Dunedin. At both Christchurch and Dunedin the machine passed over the centre of the- city, but the course was considerably to the west of Wellington, at which centre the machines of the company will not call. The arrangements for the serving of that city provide for the transhipment of passengers at Blenheim, where they will transfer to the planes of Cook Strait Airways. The machine will return to Palmerston North to-day. An official christening of the machines will take place at Palmerston North on Wednesday in conjunction with a pageant by the Manawatu Aero Club, and the regular service will be opened next Thursday.