“N.Z. MUST BLAZE HER OWN TRACK.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18888, 14 October 1929, Page 7

“N.Z. MUST BLAZE HER OWN TRACK.”

COMMERCIAL FLYING WILL BE DEVELOPED, SAYS HON T. M. WILFORD.

“ I can assure you, as Minister of Defence, that it is only a question of money so far as I am concerned.” With these words the Minister of Defence, the Hon T. M. Wilford, concluded a lecturette, recently broadcast, on “ The Skyways as Highways.” His reference to money .is a reminder that the Government has so far come to no decision concerning a subsidy for an air mail. Possibly such a subsidy will not materialise in a year overshadowed by the deficit of 1928-29, says the “Post.” But legislation to facilitate expenditure on . aerodromes and landing-places by local bodies—and giving to the City Councils of the four centres power to borrow up to £SOOO each without ratepayer consent—has passed the House of Representatives. It seems to be a fact that New Zealand and Hungary are the only countries that have not commercial flying services of their own. Budapest is served by the German Luft Hansa. New Zealand must blaze her. own track. Australia has been flying for ten years.

LANDING-PLACES COME FIRST. In the lecturette above referred to, Mr Wilford stated;—“ln Germany, where I was last year, there are 14,000 miles of commercial airways, and from Berlin alone no fewer than twentythree air lines to different parts of Germany and away as far as Budapest leave every day. While Germany has 14,000 miles of commercial aviation routes, France has 8000 miles and Britain has only 11,000 miles. New Zealand can, and will, I am satisfied, develop commercial aviation, and in the not distant future, but until there are landing-places it is not a practical possibility that any company could embark upon huge expenditure without landing-places necessary for the carrying out of its projects.” Hence, of course, the Bill now before Parliament. Although Britain’s flying mileage compares unfavourably with that of Continental neighbours (yet not so unfavourably as New Zealand’s compares with Australia’s), British skill in aircraft construction is advanced. Mr Wilford states that the best aero engine in the world is of British manufacture. He also says:—

“ The New Zealand Government is not backward in realising the possibilities of commercial aviation machines for defence purposes if later on they may be required. We have imported two Fairey 3F machines, which are flying boats, but are convertible to land machines. It will be of interest to the people of New Zealand to realise the flight that Fairey machines are capable of undertaking. Jones Williams, who flew from London to Karachi (4381 miles in fifty hours) without coming to the ground, flew a Fairey machine, but not of the same horse-power or style as the two machines we have imported. Jones Williams’s non-stop flight to Karachi covered 4381 miles. A glance at the map will show that another 4381 miles in the direction of Australia would take him from Karachi practically to Darwin, North Australia. That is to say, in 100 hours, if he could make a second hop like that to Karachi, he couid fly from England to Port Darwin in a time eclipsing all existing flying records for the route, including Kingsford Smith's. THREE-ENGINED TYPE APPROVED. “ I hope that the machine® which are provided in the first commercial aviation companies in this country will be three-engined machines and ot a standard make, such a make as has been proved to be a serviceable and a good make, or commercial aviation may receive a set-back at Ihe start. If three-engined machines and machines of standard makes, as, for in stanch, the machines which are used by Imperial Airways to-day, are ob tained for the commercial companies that embark on their business in this country, they will start properly, and will begin, in my opinion, in the right way. “ In flying over Gook' Strait, I think that the Government will provide that aeroplanes must be flown at a height of not less than 4000 feet, and there will then be sufficient opportunity, if anything goes wrong, to allow plenty of distance for gliding to safety. The Government will also provide the checking in and checking out of any 'planes that are flying across the Strait. “ Personally, I fly because I enjoy it. Recently I was talking to a resident of Eltham who had had occasion to go from Eltham to Auckland. He went from Eltham down by rail to Marton Junction, and there changed to a train that took him up north to Auckland. That journey occupied eighteen hours. It is quite possible to-day in a Moth ’plane to fly from Eltham to Auckland in one hour fiftyfive minutes.”