TRANS-TASMAN FLIGHT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16372, 21 June 1927, Page 6

TRANS-TASMAN FLIGHT

AUSTRALIA ENTHUSIASTIC EAGER TO BE FIRST Aviation enthusiasts are anxious that the first flight across the Tasnran Sea — suggested by the Mayor of Aucklandshould be made by an Australian, and not a New Zealrinder, says a Melbourne paper. t It'was pointed out that Australia had a machine capable of doing the journey practica|ly ready for such a. Might, -the projectors' of the New Zealand enterprise would be compelled to have the machine built in England. There are two possible routes. The southern —and shorter —route would be from Hobart to the Bluff, and ii would have to be necessarily non-stop. The distance of about 1200 miles.

The northern journey would allow two stops between the hopping-off and the landing places—Norfolk and Lord Ilowe Islands. This route would be «0O miles longer, but. the stops would be, comparatively, a mere fiOO miles between.

On a machine doing 100 miles an hour, the flight would take only 12 or ]. r > hours —depending on the route chosen.

Although airmen are keen to see an Australian do the flight first, they point out that the best conditions would exist in .September, and it v-'ould b<? safer to wait until then. As the machine would be flying east — from Australia to New Zealand —about 40 minutes' daylight would be lost. But whichever pilot does the flight, and at whatever time, eagerness to have an Australian show the way is uppermost.

The Aero Club chief, Colonel T. W. White, is enthusiastic about the project. He says it is the first stage to crossing the Pacific. "Australia's future lies in that ocean," he said. "No one can tell what the future holds in the way of aerial development there—either developmeutally or commercially. It is an immense flying ground, studded with islands."

"We should have aerial communication with New Zealand, and I hope Australia will not fall behind," lie added. iv.