CRAFT HANDLED WITH EASE

Southland Times, Issue 23393, 28 December 1937, Page 8

CRAFT HANDLED WITH EASE

Beautiful Landing On Harbour FORMAL RECEPTION TO CREW (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 27, Auckland offered the Centaurus the double welcome of a brilliantly fine afternoon with a gentle southerly breeze and of waiting thousands who lined the waterfront on both sides of the harbour and crowded upon the hills and other places that gave a good view. All kinds of craft were out on the blue water, small yachts, launches, speed boats, dinghies and sculling outriggers. Spectators, many of them in bathing suits, sat on the rocks all along the eastern tide deflector and small boys perched in* numbers on the PanAmerican Airways light floats until shouted orders compelled them to dive off. The guests within the enclosure at the air base had much to see before the Centaurus made her appearance. The Samoa Clipper, moored at a pontoon a few yards from the shore, was being refuelled and many large benzine drums were being trundled up and down the gangway. A fast launch belonging to the Royal New Zealand Ait Force landed a party of aircraftsmen in khaki drill, and another flying the flag of Pan-American Airways made various trips out into the harbour and returned to moor at a pontoon By the time the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) arrived at the base die Government was already represented by the Minister of Education (the Hon. P. Fraser), the Minister of Mines (the Hon. P. C. Webb), and the Attorney-General (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) and several private members of Parliament. Others present included the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board (the Hon. T. Bloodworth, M.L.C.), the Mayor of Auckland (Sir Ernest Davis), Rear-Admiral (the Hon. E. K. Drummond), the Controller of Civil Aviation (Group Captain T. M. Wilkes), Mr N. S. Falla, chairman and managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company and of Union Airways, Mr F. Entwhistle, of the British Air Ministry, Mr Harold Gatty, Australian and New Zealand representative of Pan-American Airways, and Major A. Purvis, Military Secretary to the Gov-ernor-General, who was accompanied by Viscount Coke and by Mrs Purvis, with their Excellency’s children. FIRE NEAR ENCLOSURE , A fire in the hardwood piles a few yards west of the enclosure provided a “side show” for a quarter of an hour or so, but caused little excitement, except when the fire brigade arrived to put it out. . At nine minutes past three cries of “There she is” turned all eyes to the west. Over the wireless tower at the top of Shortland street was the big flying-boat, surprisingly near and low down, her deep hull showing below the wide knife-edged span of her single wing. Closer and closer she came and in a few seconds she was roaring directly overhead at a height of about only 200 feet, a great leaden grey object branded with big identification letters in black paint. Opposite Point Resolution she turned to port in a fairly steep bank, passed up the fairway and completed a narrow circle of the inner harbour. The second time past the base she was further to the south and when not very far north-east of the tide deflector she descended rapidly to a beautiful landing. Many of those who saw the manoeuvre must have been astonished that so large an aircraft could be handled with such apparent ease and nonchalance.

On the water, the Centaurus taxied Up the fairway for a quarter of a mile or so at a remarkably high speed, with the “step” in her keel still above the surface. Then her propellers slowed down, the hull sank deeper and she came to a full stop in a much shorter distance than a lay onlooker would ever have believed possible. Turning round almost in her own length, the big ship made her way slowly to the moorings, which were marked by a red buoy, with Air Force aircraftsmen in a dinghy mounting guard over it. As she drew gradually nearer the mooring hatch in the nose opened and a white-clad member of the crew could be seen standing in the aperture. A few yards from the buoy an aircraftsman threw him a light line, to which a heavier one was attached, and in a few minutes the task of mooring was finished with the aid of an Air Force launch which had drawn alongside. Two doors were opened on the port side of the hull, and after the launch

had made a trip to the shore she returned again with a large party, including the port health officer. Some time later the launch brought the crew ashore. On the pontoon they all paused to be photographed and. this over, the tall figure of Captain J. W. Buigess led the procession up the gangway. Before reaching the top he was greeted by his mother, who came forward to meet him, and a few seconds later was shaking hands with the official party, his two brothers and other relations. The formal reception took place around a long table covered with a Union Jack and before the speeches Captain Burgess received a comradely greeting and congratulations from Captain Edwin C. Musick, of the Samoa Clipper. The addresses were brief and as soon as they were over everybody joined in three hearty cheers for the captain and his comrades. Meanwhile, the Centaurus had become a centre of interest for craft of all kinds.