THIRD HOP DELAYED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20027, 28 August 1939, Page 14

THIRD HOP DELAYED

CALIFORNIA CLIPPER WEATHER NEWS LACKING DATA FROM FIJI AREA (Pur Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. As a result of essential weather information failing to come from Fiji and Rotumah Island, the departure of Pan-American Airways Boeing Clipper frdm Canton Island on th e third stage of her survey flight to New Zealand, was delayed for a day. The journey from Canton Island to Noumea, New Caledonia, is being undertaken to-day and it is considered certain that the machine will not reach Auckland before Wednesday afternoon. The New Zealand representative of Pan-American Airways, Mr. Harold Gatty, said the Government Meteorological Department provided an excellent service in co-operation with Australia and those islands which were administered by New Zealand. However, the observations from the Fiji area had proved inadequate.

These reports were of the utmost importance as Fiji lay practically midway on the route between Canton Island and Noumea. It was lack of information from the Fiji area that had prevented the weather map from being completed at Auckland on Saturday and consequently the departure of the Clipper from Canton Isiand had been delayed. No meteorological details had been received from Fiji from 2 p.m. on Saturday to 9 a.m. yesterday, while Rotumah Island, which lay half-way between Canton Island and Noumea, had been silent from Friday morning until yesterday morning. Mr. Gatty adaed that the Clipper was to have left Canton Island at 4.30 a.m. yesterday, New Zealand time, but as a result of the delay she was now expected to take oft at the same hour to-day. The machine would now not reach Auckland befor e Wednesday afterr.ocr. and, in the event of unfavourable weather, her arrival might be later.