EMPIRE AIR SERVICE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16488, 4 November 1927, Page 8

EMPIRE AIR SERVICE

A START NEXT SUMMER TWO SHIPS NOW BUILDING PROPOSALS OUTLTNED (British Official Wireless.) Roc. 2 p.m. LONDON, Nov. .'!. •Two largo airships which nre under construction in England will be ready for service next summer, and tho Director of Civil Aviation, Sir Sefton Brancker, stated last night that their first use might be on an experimental service to Canada, via Bathurst, on the West African coast, and the Azores, so that the assistance of trade winds might be.utilised. Experience with lightcr-tluin-iiir machines, however, is limited, and nil plans for the use of these groat vessels arc merely tentative. There is ample experience on which to base plana for the development of imperial routes by heavior-thnn-nir craft, and Sir Sefton Brancker looks forward, as aircraft further improves in range, reliability, and speed, to less and "'less dependency being placed on ground organisation, until a position is reached in which, for example, flying boats can proceed direct across the Atlantic from the west, coast of Ireland to Newfoundland. The three main objectives arc through communication by aeroplane from London to Melbourne, via India, a branch line from this route through Cairo and Central Africa to Capetown, and the opening of an airship route. Referring to the development of the Cairo-Basra routed which showed 100 per cent. regularity, Sir . Sefton Brancker said that, unfortunately, Persia, though she agreed two years ago to n route regularly running along her coast line had so far refused to ratify the agreement. Accordingly, the route on the Arabian side of the Persian Oluf was being surveyed, and this showed that there wore no physical difficulties until they reached'the 230 miles sea jump across the Indian Ocean to British territory. By degrees they were acquiring so much confidence in thrce-cngined aircraft that he did not think that this jump was going to worry them. Negotiations were proceeding regarding the Karachi-Calcutta section, which was the business of the Indian Government, which also would control the route to Rangoon, thence to Singapore, which route was the . responsibility of the British Government, but the route was still unleterminod. It has been reconnoitred, and British interests were negotiating for a service from Penang to the Dutch East Indies.

Sir Sefton described the suggested air route to Capetown, which, on present experience, could be flown from London in 10 days, and with nightflying could bo reduced toloß hours.