CLIPPER SHIP ARRIVES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 306, 27 December 1937, Page 8

CLIPPER SHIP ARRIVES

GAY SCENE AT AUCKLAND DAWN OF REGULAR SERVICE UNKING N.Z. AND AMERICA [ Per I’i ecu Association. ] AUCKLAND, Doc. 26. After covering the distance from Honolulu to Auckland in just over 31 hours actual flying time, the Pan-American Airways Samoan Clipper made a perfect landing on Waitemata Harbour just after four o’clock this after noon. A huge holiday crowd on the waterfront and occupying points of vantage on the hilltops overlooking the harbour, saw the Clipper make her second landing on the VVaitemata, and, subsequently, the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) joined with the chairman of the Harbour

Board (Hon. T. Bloodworth) and the Mayor (Sir Ernest Davis) in extending greetings to Captain Edwin G. Musick and his crew. Perfect weather conditions rulcci for the Clipper’s arrival, and a murmur of excitement from the crowd greeted her first appearance. Flying high over Stanley Point on the north shore of the harbour, the giant flying-boat circled the city ant. then dropped down over North Head to land in the harbour. Patrol launches had kept the runway clear, and before long the Clipper had taxied up the harbour and turned in past the eastern tide deflector, to run jp to her mooring stage fronting the Pan-American administrative olhcc-s ji Mechanics’ Bay. An impressive sight was pres-nted is the silvery hull of the flying-boat shone up against a background of lhe Blue Star motor-ship Empire Star just leaving for Napier. The Clipper vas quickly moored and after inspection by the port health officer and customs, Captain Musick and the crew :ame ashore for the official Harbour Soard reception. Within a few minJtes the flying-boat was surrounded Dy pleasure craft, ranging from small yachts to large cruising launches, and swimmers even dived into the harbour off the breakwater to swim under the massive spreading wings and round the giant hull. After the recef.‘.ion the crew of the Clipper disappeared to their various hotels. Perfect Weather During Trip. In an interview, Captain Musick ;aid that throughout the trip from Honolulu the weather conditions had jeen perfect, and good flying time nad been maintained all the way. llpschooner Tradewind was now quartered at Kingman Reef as a permanent depot ship, and at Pago Page landing base facilities had been provided similar to those a l , Auckland. Regarding lhe Auckland base in Mechanics’ Bay, Captain Musick said the facilities were excellent. Bathed in summer sunshine the city had looked magnificent from the ait, and he had no doubt that in the neai future American passengers would experience lhe same thrill that his crew had enjoyed on seeing Auckland after a long and uneventful trip from Pago Pago. Captain Musick said the purpose o.

- this second flight over this important 4 aerial route between America and Now Zealand aas to make a final surr vey and inspect the ground facilities -| constructed at the various points. '• That important stage of the work I I was n »w finalised. d I ••When we leave New Zealand - i on December 29 we w ill inaugu-i-I rate a regular air mail and exd | press service on a bi-weekly schedule from New Zealand to >- America,” lie said. “Another . stage of the service will be in1 augurated in due time with large | 7 .'-passenger transoceanic ClipI pers now being built in Seattle. J one of the first of these ships, (1 i now nearing completion, has been I given the name of South Seas . i (lipper, and will provide facili i ties for passenger-carrying on : this new airway, which parallels i one of tin- most important aerial i trade routes in flu* world. 1 un- ’ • derstand that within a few days ; Imperial Airways will send one of *’ their ’planes from Australia to '! New Zealand across the Tasman Sea on a route-survey mission '* j similar to that we have just eom- ( * ! pleted across the South Pacific, II and linking Australia and New (1 | Zealand. These. undertakings, * s I jointly considered, bring reality d | to tiic tong planned programme to n I fir Australia into the rapidly developing airway systems of the of world.”