FAST CROSSING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21644, 3 May 1940, Page 11

FAST CROSSING

Aotearoa Completes Round Trip

Stormy Weather Met

By Telegraph - Pres? Association AUCKLAND, May 2.

Making her second fastest crossing of the Tasman in 7 hours 59 minutes, the flying-boat Aotearoa returned from Sydney this afternoon to complete the first round trip in the Tasman Empire Airways commercial service between New Zealand and Australia. She carried five passengers, about 45,000 letters, including 10,000 from Britain, and about 1671 b of freight, including a number of cinematograph films. Among the letters was one of greeting from the Lord Mayor of Sydney (Alderman S. Crick) to the Mayor of Auckland (Sir Ernest Davis).

Before dawn, Captain Burgess, his officers and crew, the same who took the flying-boat from Auckland to Sydney, and the passengers embarked at the Rose Bay base and were farewelled by a large number of officials and friends. The flying-boat circled over Sydney and headed toward New Zealand. It was blind flying for the first two hours, and then shortly after sunrise the flying-boat again encountered bad weather. Heavy rain and hail was met and later at an altitude of 9000 feet there was a snowstorm. Precautions were taken against ice formation, and at one stage it was necessary to wind in the aerial for a time owing to an electrical storm. At no time, however, did conditions cause any perturbation either to the crew or to the passengers. For five and a half hours the flyingboat maintained an altitude of 8000 feet, meeting intermittent cloud at first, but flying in sunshine above the clouds for most of the last 500 miles. Conditions improved rapidly nearing the New Zealand coast and the flyingboat reached Auckland in perfect weather at 1.38 p.m. “A Wonderful Experience” “It was a wonderful experience,” said the only woman passenger, Miss G. McDonald, of Takapuna, after the flying-boat reached Auckland. “I have done a lot of flying in Australia, but nothing so comfortable as this. ‘‘The lights of Sydney as we circled over it this morning wore one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Except for one period it was smooth travelling all the way, and everything possible was done for our comfort.” Miss McDonald said she was the first passenger to book for the SydneyAuckland service. She reserved her seat some months ago before leaving for a holiday in Australia. Other passengers were Mr R. R. Kemp, a New Zealander returning after two years in Australia, and three journalists, Messrs W. J. Percival (Sydney), K. Palmer (Melbourne) and H. O. Browne (Auckland).

The flying-boat’s average speed for the crossing was 146 knots. Captain Burgess said the whole trip had gone very well. It was a most satisfactory inauguration for the service. An exchange of messages between His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and the New Zealand Government in connection with the commencement of the trans-Tas-man service was released by the Hon. P. Fraser to-day. The British message stated that the inauguration of the service afforded another indication of the successful results that could be achieved by co-operation between the Governments of the British Commonwealth.