FLIGHT OF CLIPPER DELAYED

Southland Times, Issue 23394, 29 December 1937, Page 8

FLIGHT OF CLIPPER DELAYED

POSTPONEMENT FOR 24 HOURS WEATHER FORECAST NOT FAVOURABLE MAIL RETURNED TO POST OFFICE (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 28. A postponement of 24 hours in the departure for Pago Pago of the PanAmerican Airways Samoan Clipper with the first air mail to be carried across the South Pacific was announced by Mr Harold Gatty, special representative of the company in New Zealand, at 10 o’clock tonight. The announcement followed immediately on an. unfavourable weather forecast being made by Mr E. B. Buxton, the company’s meteorologist in Auckland. “The forecast is for bad weather,” Mr Gatty said. “It indicates strong head winds between here and Pago Pago and unfavourable conditions on the first section of the route. The Clipper will moor at her buoy for the night.” All preparations for the departure at 4 o’clock in the morning were complete when the postponement was announced. The Clipper had been refuelled With 2000 gallons of petrol and the engineers had checked over the whole ship ready for the flight. Night landing floats to be set out over a mile long path to indicate the runway to Captain Edwin C. Musick had been checked and were in position behind a fast launch for towing into place and. anchoring. Detailed arrangements had been made by Mr A. L. Lewis, the airport manager, for handling the mail and stowing it aboard the Clipper. A big consignment was due to reach the base at midnight to be locked in a special compartment on the Sikorsky, but the plans, were altered as soon as the change in the schedule had been announced and the mail was held at the Chief Post Office. Extraordinary interest was taken in the mail. Up till last evening more than 1000 letters and post cards had been received from all parts of the Dominion. There was a further tremendous influx today and there were long queues at the Chief Post Office. Besides philatelists and agencies, business people are using the first air mail in large numbers. GOOD IMPRESSION IN AUSTRALIA PLEASING AUGURY FOR EMPIRE SERVICE SYDNEY, December 28. The Minister of Defence (Mr H. V. Thorby) expressed pleasure at the successful completion of the Tasman flight by the Imperial Airways flying-boat Centaurus. He said it was the intention of the Commonwealth Government to tender an official welcome to the commander (Captain J. W. Burgess) and his crew on their return from New Zealand. The airworthiness of the Centaurus and the efficiency of its crew were a pleasing augury for the initiation of the Empire air mail service, said Mr Thorby.