TRANS-TASMAN SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1928, Page 4

TRANS-TASMAN SERVICE

MR ULM’S ENTHUSIASM

“ COMMERCIAL PROPOSITION.”

SYDNEY, June 28

Mr C. T. P. Uim, co-organiser with Kingsford Smith of the Pacific flight, is fired with enthusiasm for an air service across the Tasman between Australia and New Zealand, and he has visions of a fleet of aircraft plying regulhrly between Sydney and .Melbourne.

Mr Ulm’s attitude is that, with the right type of machine, there is nc question of the practicability of a regular air service between Australia and New Zealand, taking about sixteen or eighteen hours, as against thr four to four and a-lialf days occupied by the steanlers. He recommended r tri-motor Fokker as suitable for such a service, not merely because the Southern Cross is such, but because lie is convinced that it would be mos' suitable for an over-water service. It would need to be either a flying boat or an amphibian, of three, four, or five engines, and with a passenger, freight, arid mail-carrying capacity of about'two tons. AYliile it might be pointed out that no such ’plane existed at present, it was possible t' construct one. He ventured to say that the service he had in mind coula be operating in eighteen months. “ As already announced, we propose to do the New Zealand flight,” lie continued, “ arid then we will be in a better position to discuss more full v the commercial service • which I hav broadly outlined as an eminently practicable proposition in my opinion. AA e have not yet fixed tbe date of the flight, which will be a purely‘experimental one. It will not in any way. be a publicity, or a merely spectacular, stunt. Kingsford Smith and 1 believe that the flight to New Zcalair 1 will be a further demonstration to t! two countries and to the public tb;. properly organised flying is as safe as and more speedy than, ordinary twins port.” When asked if lie could throw any light on the tragic failure of Mon criefF and Hood, Uhn said that ho pro Terred not to discuss that, as he wa« not in Sydney when the flight was commenced, and lie had no first-ban knowledge to guide him. He an Kingsford Smith wanted to efface air. possibility of doubt in the public min as to tlie safety of a (light across tn Tasman, in view of the commercir possibilities of the route, and of t.l existing, isolation of the two countric which have so much in common, “lb public may have become * windy ’ wit regard to the Tasman flight,” sai Mr Uhn. “ AVe I eel positive that i Moncrieff and Hood were alive to-da they would bo the first to help us ii this flight and remove doubts from ill public mind. Pioneering, whether ii aviation or any other enterprise, liny always been attended with loss ol life The path of the pioneer has never beer nn easy one. Seven or eight lives hav been lost in tbe Pacific, and a dozen or more in the Atlantic. ' These live' were not lost in vain, for, largely a n result of the lesson derived from these failures, both oceans have been successfully negotiated by air.” Mr Ulm is,confident from bis experi cnees of the successful air services ir America to-day, and from bis persona! knowledge of ground and other organisations, that a regular and speedy ai> service between Melbourne and Syd ney, via Canberra, is quite practicable with tri-motor Fokkers, with a carrying capacity of twelve or fourteen pas sengers. He believes that that service could be made to pay without an? Government subsidy. Air Uhn wouh net • say whether he and Smith in tended to organise such a service.

“ Decent flights, mid not necessarily our own,” said Mr Ulm, “ have show) the strong need for every Governmen keeping actively alive to, and in stop with,' the rapid advances in aviation not. ns some spectacular stunt, bn with a solid and sound objective ii view.' 1 am not suggesting that th Commonwealth Government is letlmr gic. Air-Marshal Sir John Snlmond’coming survey of aviation in Aitstraliis an illustration of the I act that th' position is being closely watched. The two Americans, Lyon and War nor, who accompanied Smith and t loon ' the Pacific flight, departed l',home oil Saturday last, and ucio gi\en an enthusiastic farewell. Accompany jug then! wore Captain Lancaster an: .Mrs Keith Miller, who some time ageflow from IJngland to Australia. 1* was announced that Airs -'filler wc: going as secretary to Lyon and that Captain Lancaster would pilot mn chines for Lyon and Warner in ccrtnir engagements they arc likely to accept when they arrive hack in America—possibly in motion pictures.