CLIPPER DELAYED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 308, 29 December 1937, Page 8

CLIPPER DELAYED

UNFAVOURABLE FORECAST HOP TO PAGO PAGO POSTPONED BIG CONSIGNMENT OF MAIL READY [ Ter Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Dec. 28. 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 ten o’clock to-night. The announcement followed immediately upon 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 Ciipper will moor at her buoy for the night.”

All preparations for the departure at four 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. The night, landing floats to be set out over a mile Jong path to indicate the runway to Captain Musick had been checked and were in position behind a fast launch for towing into place and anchoring. Detailed arrangements had been macle by Mr. A. L. Lewis, airport manager, for the handling of the mail and stowing it aboard the clipper. The large consignment was due to reach the base at midnight to be locked in the special compartment on the Sikorsky, but the plans were altered as soon as the change in schedule had been announced and the mail was held at the Chief Post Office. TO PASS OVER WANGANUI CENTAURUS EN ROUTE SOUTH LEAVES Al UHLAND FRIDAY. [ J*er Press Association. ] AUCKLAND, Dec. 28. The Centaurus leaves Auckland on Friday at 7 a.m. for Wellington. If the weather is favourable on the West Coast she will pass over New Plymouth, Hawera, Stratford, Wanganui and Palmerston North, arriving lat Wellington at 10 a.m. She will cruise at a speed of 135 miles an hour, j She leaves Wellington at 7 a.m. on January 3 for Lyttelton, via Marlborough Sounds, Nelson and Blenheim, arriving at Lyttelton at 10.30 a.m. She leaves the following morning at 7.30 for Dunedin, flying over the coastal towns. She leaves on January 5 for Wellington, 1 hence lhe same afternoon to Auckland, prob; )ly circling Hastings, Napier, Gisborne and Tauranga. She leaves Auckland for Sydney on the morning of January 10.