FLYING BOATS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19027, 29 May 1936, Page 2

FLYING BOATS

- PROVISION AT DARWIN NO SUITABLE 'ANCHORAGE DARWIN. May 15. Major 11. 0. llraeklrey, air superintendent of Imperial Airways. Limited, who arrived by the F..A.F.' living boat which will engage on a survey of an admail route, said to-day that he was not. favourably impressed with Darwin Harbour as an anchorage, for flying boats. Major Tiracklev nod officers of the flying boat spent to-day making an inspection of Darwin Harbour and the foreshores to select the best- possible site for an anchorage. Major Braekley said that the task was very difficult because of the abnormal rise and' fall of the tide, which during spring tides was as touch, as 24ft. It was advisable for a living boat anchorage to select a place sheltered from the north-west, monsoons a lid. the south-east trade winds in water close to the short! where embarkation and disembarkation of passengers and mails and refuelling could be carried out . Existing moorings near Darwin, jetty, he said, were unsuitable, because sometimes they were exposed to fairly high winds. There were possible sites around the foreshores, but the abnormal tides left large areas of mud exposed at low tides. ■When the flying boat leaves to-morrow, it will carry 12 men, made up of the crew of eight; Major Brackley, SquadronLeader Hempel (R.A.A.F.), Mr. A. R. MeCJomb (Civil Aviation Department), and Mr. Hudson Fysh (managing director of (juntas Empire Airways).