FIRST HOP BEGUN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20024, 24 August 1939, Page 16

FIRST HOP BEGUN

PACIFIC SURVEY FLIGHT GIANT BOEING CLIPPER HONOLULU FIRST STOP COMPLEMENT PERSONNEL (l'tsi Press AstucitUion.) AUCKLAND, this day. On the first stage of her survey flight to New Zealand, Pan-Ameri-can Airways Boeing Clipper took off from San Francisco at 1 o’clock, New Zealand time yesterday. Leaving San Francisco in the late afternoon, the machine is covering 2440 miles to Honolulu as night flying, and she was expected to complete the first section of the journey at 4.30 a.m. to-day, New Zealand time. The flight is essentially a survey of the new route, which extends from Honolulu, via Canton Island and Noumea to Auckland, and the tentative schedule which has -been announced may be subject to alteration as the machine proceeds across the Pacific. However, if the existing plans .are maintained the clipper should arrive at Auckland next Tuesday afternoon. All i s in readiness at .the base lor her landing, the ground organisation bein 2 practically complete. In addition to the crew of 11 piloting the clipper on her < maiden flight across the South Pacific, the machine carries a number of distinguished American Government and company officials as observers. Following the radioed advice of the Boeing’s departure, the New Zealand representative of Pan-American Airways, Mr. Harold Gatty, received information of the personnel being carried to New Zealand.

Crew of the Clipper

The crew of the clipper is as follows: Captain J. H. Tilton, commanding, Mr. W. A. Cluthe, first officer, Mr. J. L. Fleming, second officer, Mr. -B. A. Wright, third officer, Mr. B. E. Michael, fourth officer, Mr. J. E. Prunty, first engineer, Mr. J. W. Zeigler, second engineer, Mr. J. C. Smyser, first radio officer, Mr. A. L. Charman, second radio officer,' Mr. H. A. Laporte, first steward and observer, Mr. T. Mbffatt, second steward.

Other officials of Pan-American Airways organisation, who will be travelling as observers, comprise Messrs. J. C. Leslie, operations manager of the Pacific division, Carl Leuder, section operations superintendent, stationed at Honolulu, H. O. Gentry, communications section superintendent, F. M. Hull, a mechanic to be stationed at Auckland, Mr. R. M. Stevens, junior flight engineer, F. McKenzie, airport e agineer, W. S. Alexander, Pacific division navigation instructor. Official ■ observers representing various departments of the United States Government are as follows: General Arnold Krogstad, United States army air corps, Commander L. C. Stevens, United States Navy, Lieutenant George Bowerman, United States Coast Guard, Clinton M. Hester, administrator of the Civil Aeronautics Authority, E. L. Yuravich, chief of the foreign air lines inspection branch of the Civil Aeronautics Authority. Five members of the clipper’s personnel have previously been to Auckland. Mr. McKenzie superintended the construction of the company’s base at Mechanics’ Bay, while Mr. Charman was stationed for a time at Pan-American Airways radio station at St. Helier’s Bay. Messrs. Wright and Alexander came to New Zealand on the Samoan Clipper’s flight on which Mr. Yuravich was also carried as representative of the Civil Aeronautics Authority.