TASMAN AIR-LINER’S ARRIVAL IN DARK AT AUCKLAND

Grey River Argus, 17 September 1948, Page 4

TASMAN AIR-LINER’S ARRIVAL IN DARK AT AUCKLAND

Flare Path Used to Guide Her In P.A. WELLINGTON, Sept 16 For the first time since the war, a flare path was used to-night to land an overseas passenger aircraft at Mechanic’s Bay. The Tasman Empire Airways flying boat “Australia, which arrived alter dark, having been delayed by fog in Sydney, was sucessfully brought in on a 1500 yard flare path to its moorings. The passengers disembarked after an eight and a-halt hour flight, shortly before 7.50 p.m. instead of the normal arrival time between three and five o’clock in the afternoon. Flare, paths, which were used extensively by the New Zealand Air Force during the war and by commercial aircraft, are rarely required for passenger flights. Training in the use oi flares in case of necessity is undertaken regularly every week at Mechanic’s Bay. but this is the first time they have been employed with a plane carrying a full complement of passengers. Electric flares are carried on masts, mounted in flat bottom dinghys and are charged by batteries. t On this occasion, the dinghys, which are equipped with anchor and warn, were towed out to their positions on the western side of the viaduct by control launches belonging to the department of Civil Aviation. The flares were' set at distances ranging from 130 to 150 yards before the aircraft was due. Easily recognising the larger fiares from the maze of stationary harbour lights, the Australia flew in parallel with the flare path with the flares on the port side of the aircraft. After the Commander, Captain R. McHardy, received.his clearance from the control launch to land, he made his approach so as to touch down at No. 2 flare. The flying boat then taxied up to the moorings in the normal manne Qne of the worst fogs experienced in Sydney for some time delayed the departure of the Australia until 10.58 a.m. New Zealand time to-day. Captain McHardy said the fog came down at about 4.30 a.m. Australian, time, and at its worst stage the visibilitywas restricted to about 75 or 100 yards. It was still very thick when the flying boat was due to leave at five o’clock. The first passengers had been loaded when advice was recieveu from the Civil Aviation authorities to delay the departure of the aircraft. The base was closed, and'the passengers were unloaded, and were provided with coffee and biscuits on shore, and were detained until nine o clock Australian time, when the Australia to Cap°tain McHardy said the fog was the worst he had experienced since he started on the Auckland to Sydney run in March, 1945. The flying boat, New Zealand, was also scheduled to make the crossing to-day. As the delay would have meant it arriving much later than the Australia, it was decided to postpone the trip until to-morrow in order not to inconvenience the passengers.