REGULAR AIR SERVICES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18335, 1 March 1934, Page 13

REGULAR AIR SERVICES

ESTABLISHED IN 6 MONTHS FURTHER TASMAN FLIGHTS Dominion Airways, Limited, the firm which is being formed to run passenger and mail services from Auckland to Christchurch and possibly to Dunedin, should be in operation in about six months, Mr Wilfrid Kingsford Smith, business manager for Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, told a Christchurch reporter. Mr. Smith said plans for floating the company were proceeding satisfactorily. The necessary machinery stops, however, particularly the building of the fleet ol machines, "would probably take till next spring or early summer. Dominion Airways, Limited, it was lioped, would have five machines in operation before long. The Codcock type, similar to the machine now being built at Cockatoo Dockyard for Mr T. VV. White to fly across the Tasman Sea, was suggested for use on the main service. Codock machines had two engines and would be able tto maintain flight on one engine. Each machine would carry six passengers and would have room for a chief pilot ;yid an assistant pilot. Each machine would be fitted with radio, so that it would be possible to warn the pilojt of changes for the worse in weather. The machines, it was anticipated, would have a cruising speed of 116 miles an hour and a top speed of 140 miles an hour. SERVICES PLANNED It was planned to have a service from Auckland to New Plymouth to Wellington to Christchurch and possibly to Dunedin, one machine doing the 'down trip apd another the up trip every week day. It was intended that provision should be made for optional landings to pick up or set down passengers where necessary, suggested optional landing-places in the South Island including Blenheim, Timaru and Oamaru. Another machine was intended for use on what would be known as “the round trip.” This route would be from Auckland to Rotorua, to Gisborne, to Napier, to Palmerston North, to Wellington, to Nelson. The machine would ’stay the night at Nelson and make the return trip the following day. One machine would he kept in reserve for special charter trips and the 'filth would he the relief ’plane, for use on any route when another was undergoing overhaul. i It was hoped to have feeder services with smaller machines from. Gore and Invercargill to Dunedin and from the West Coast to Christchurch, subject to there being no other companies in operation on those routes.

Mr. Wilfrid Kingsford Smith said that, a rather important aspect of the proposal to establish the company, from the point of view of the community ah a whole, was that the passenger machine 'would be readily convertible at short ‘notice into two-engined bombers, able to. icarry over half a ton <pf bombs. Should jsuch a service he necessary, it would 'he very handy to have the machines 'available, especially as the maintenance and provision of the fleet would have taken place at no cost to the country. The selection of the personnel neces-, sary to maintain the services had not yet advanced very far, but he could say that two of the pilots who would be engaged would be Mr. T. W. White, ot Timaru, and Mr. ,T. D. ITewett, of Auck. land.

The Codock machine which Mr. White was to fly across the Tasman, would not. land at New Plymouth, hut as that town was the. logical terminal for any regular service across the Tasman Sea, the machine would be flown to there and would circle the town, flying up to land at Auckland. The Codock machine should arrive in New Zealand about March 10 or 15. The Southern Cross would take off from Ninety Milo Beach on the return flight to Australia, which would bo made not later than the end of lyfarch, to avoid the westerly gales of April. Very likely an official air mail would bo carried on this flight.