Air Liners Grounded By Adverse Weather

Chronicle (Levin), 11 May 1948, Page 5

Air Liners Grounded By Adverse Weather

AUCKLAND, Alay *10. The worst . . hold-up vn the history oa civil aviation in Xew Zealand occurre-.i today when the pilots of eight Xatiomu Airways Corporation air liners on tlu routes from Whemtapai to the south, deeided that the weather conditioirweie below the mininium standard re quired by Government regutations foi visual flying. Onlv two out ward flights to Parapaiaumu and Northburn were completed. More thau 130 passengers were unable to leave by air and many waitod at Whenuapai from 7.30 a.m. until the corporation linally canrolled all flights at 3.50' p.m. The pilots grounded their aircratt under the international instrument flviug rules introdueed by the Government as a member of the International Ci\n Aviation Organisation on Januarv 1. The onlv radio-range in operatiotv is at Whenuapai and until tlie Dominion chiiiii oi' ranges and homer beaeons is completed, internal air liners will not be able to - ti y on inslruineftts and the pilots will be bound to observe the visual flying minima prescribed in the regiilations. Mangere was deelared unfit for heaw aircraft this morning as the result of rain on the runwav and Xational Air wavs Corporation Lodestars and Loekhetds were instructed to use Whenuapai. Shortly after 8 a.m. a Douglas took off for Harewood, a Lockheed for Paraparaumu and another Lockheed for Palmerston Xorth. They wefe all foreed to return to Whenuapai.' At 11.45 a.m. two more aircraft left for the south. Less tlian 30 minutes later one turne'l back over Raglan, encountered a severe eleetrieal storm on its track to Whenuapai, aiul turned south again, reaching Paraparaumu by wav of Wanganui. This was cthe onlv air liner to reach a -umthern desti nation all day, the seeond aircraft having to turn back at 12.45 p.m. when over Waikato Ileads. The day's tally of cancelled flights was Christchurch X"ew Plvmouth and Palmerston Xorth 1, Dunedin 1, Wellington 2, Tauranga and Gisborne 1, Gisborne 1. With the exception of the late afternoon flight from Paraparaumu which was diverted into Palmerston Xorth, all inwaid iirograiumes were maintained. Two special serviee cars took passenger.-- to X" e w I'lymoutli and hasty train and inter-island ferrv arrangements were made for travellers to leave for the south tonight.