PAN-AMERICAN AIRWAYS

Southland Times, Issue 23347, 3 November 1937, Page 4

PAN-AMERICAN AIRWAYS

CONTRACT LET FOR BUILDING PREPARATION OF SITE AT AUCKLAND (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, November 2. A contract for the erection of an airport building on the property leased from the Auckland Harbour Board in Mechanics’ Bay near the Shore end of the eastern breakwater has been let by- Pan-American Airways to the Fletcher Construction Company. Work is to begin within a few days as the site has already been prepared and the building should be finished early in December. The building, which will comprise an office for the Auckland airport manager, Mr A. L. Lewis, a store room, a workshop and other accommodation, will be of a semi-permanent construction. Other arrangements necessary for the preparation of the site as a flyingboat base are in hand. A floating gangway is being made and a land float or barge will be purchased in Auckland. The Pacific division airport engineer has communicated with the Auckland Harbour Board about the provision of a 50ft jetty from the tarsealed strip of foreshore which is at present being Hid. The jetty will lead to a gangway giving access to the landing float.’ The float will be at least 100 ft from the shore, a distance made necessary by the vast span, 152 ft, of the Boeings which are to be used when the company begins carrying passengers across the Pacific. “On the property we have leased we are also building a special pump house for fuel,” said Mr H. Gatty, the special representative of the company. “There will be a pij. line leading along the breastwork and jetty to the landing float with flexible connections. Drums of special fuel will be taken to the pump house and their contents pumped into the machine, and then they will be removed so that there will be no fire hazard,”