OPOTIKI AERODROME

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 109, 14 November 1938, Page 2

OPOTIKI AERODROME

NOW completed FASSENGEII SERVICE EARLY NEXT YEAR. The levelling of tfie Opotiki aerodroiiie was .completed last month and the area has been since sown, m grass and with the very favourable weather the whole area should be scon well covered with grass. When work was held up in the autumn owing to tlie excessively wet conditions making it impossible to complete the work before the winter as had been expected, most of the area had been levelled off and these parts have had ample time to consolidate. When work was resumed some weeks ago the whole of the area was thoroughly disced and the levelling completed. The flyingfield should be available for the commencement of the passenger service between Auckland and Gisborne, the other stopping-place being Tauranga, where the aerodrome, has also been completed, it will probably fie necessary for a wireless station to be erected at Opotiki before the authorities allow the service to operate over the ranges. When the hills are obscured by clouds on the Gisborne-Napier run it has been the practice to fiy along the sea route but this method would be impracticable eu the Opotiki-Gis-borne run. Lt will also be necessary to complete one of the hangars at Opotiki at an early date as this flyingfield is not protected from strong gales and in the event of planes finding it necessary to stop at Opotiki it would be dangerous to leave the machines out in the open- Although no date lias been fixed for the commencement- of the new service, both the Opotiki and 'Tauranga aerodromes should be well consolidated by January. The service proposed for tlie Auck-land-Gisborne route provides for a plane to leave Auckland in the morning, returning from Gisborne to Auckland in tlie afternoon. While this time-table would suit Auckland businessmen it would not be so suitable for businesspeople at Tauranga, Opotiki and Gisborne, as it would mean an overnight stay in Auckland. In some quarters it is held that there would be a greater volume of passenger traffic with planes leaving Gisborne in.the early morning for Auckland returning from Auckland in the afternoon. This would enable businessmen to complete urgent business in the one dav.