SURVEY FLIGHT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23895, 24 August 1939, Page 12

SURVEY FLIGHT

JHE BOEING CUPPER DEPARTURE FROM SAN FRANCISCO WRSONNEL OF TWBWY-THREE •UE AT AUCKLAND ON TUESDAY fPEix United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Aug. 23. On the first stage of her survey flight to New Zealand, the PanAmerican Boeing Clipper took off from San Francisco at 1 o'clock (New Zealand time) to-day. Leaving San Francisco in the late afternoon, the machine is covering the 2440 miles to Honolulu as a night flight, and she is expected to complete the first section of the journey at 4.30 a.m. to-morrow (New Zealand time). The flight is essentially a survey of the new route which extends from Honolulu, via Canton Island and Noumea, to Auckland, and the tentative schedule which has been announced may be subject to alteration as the machine proceeds across the Pacific. If the existing plans are maintained, however, the Clipper should arrive at Auckland next Tuesday afternoon. All is in readiness at the base for her landing, the ground organisation being practically complete. A Crew of Eleven In addition to the crew ? of 11 which is piloting the Clipper on her maiden flight across the South Pacific, the machine carries a number of distinguished American Government and company officials as observers. Following advice, by Wireless of the Boeing's departure, the New Zealand representative of Pan-American Airways, Mr Harold Gatty, received information of the personnel being carried to New Zealand.

The crew of the Clipper is as follows : ._Captain J. H. Tilton, commanding; Mr W. A. Cluthe, first officer; Mr J. L. Fleming, second officer; Mr V. A. Wright, third officer; Mr B. E. Michael, fourth officer; Mr J. E. Prunty, first engineer; Mr J. W. Zeigler, second engineer; Mr J. C. Smyiser, first radio officer; Mr A. L. Charman, second radio officer; Mr H. A. Laporte, first steward; Mr T. Moffatt, second rteward.

Other, officials of the Pan-Ameri-can organisation who will be travelling as observers comprise Mr J. C. Leslie, operations manager of the Pacific Division; Mr Carl Leuder, section operations superintendent stationed at Honolulu; Mr H. O. Gentry, communications section superintendent; Mr F. M. Hull, mechanic to be stationed at Auckland; Mr R. M. Stevens, junior flight engineer; Mr F. McKenzie, airport engineer; Mr W. S." Alexander, .Pacific division navigation instructor. Five Official Observers The official observers representing the various departments of the United States Government are as follows:—General Arnold Krogstad, United States Army Air Corps; Commander L. C. Stevens, United States Navy; Lieutenant George Bowerman, United States Coastguard, Mr Clinton M. Hester, administrator of the Civil Aeronautics Authority; Mr E. L. Yuravich, chief of the foreign air lines inspection branch of the Civil Aeronautics Authority.

Five members of the Clipper's personnel have previously been to Auckland. Mr McKenzie superintended the construction of the company's base at Mechanics' Bay, while Mr Charman was stationed for a time at the Pan-American radio station at St. Heliers Bay. Mr Wright and Mr Alexander came to New Zealand on the Samoan Clipper's flight on which Mr Yuravich was also carried as representative of the Civil Aeronautics Authority.