ORAKEI AS AIR PORT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 831, 27 November 1929, Page 6

ORAKEI AS AIR PORT

Seaplanes and Flying Boats

HARBOUR BOARD APPROACHED

THE day when Orakei Bay would be the airport of Auckland and the home of scores of flying-boats which would ply their business to and fro over the \Yaitemata Harbour was foreshiidowed at yesterday’s meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board. A letter was received from Captain D. E. Harkness, technical advisor to Aerial Services, Ltd., pointing out the necessities that would arise shortly with the growth of air

Captain Harkness brought before the Harbour Board the need for making provision in the harbour at an early date for accommodating seaplanes and flying-boats. Such a machine had been imported recently by Aerial Services, Ltd., and certainly more would be on the harbour in the near future. It would be advantageous to all that there should be a suitable area found for such craft, so that they would not be a source of danger to, or be injured by, other craft.

This reserved area, to be of real value to the city as an air base, should be easy of access, free of shoals and mud-flats, and be in as sheltered a position as possible. “It can hardly be denied that the topography of the country around Auckland will require aircraft of the future, capable of usiug our vast sheltered waterways,” the letter continued,

“and it is logical to suppose that the seaport of Auckland must become the main airport of the city. This being so, it is hoped that the Harbour Board will see the necessity of immediately making provision for the present and future requirements of flyingboats.”

The machines would play a very important * part in the future conf merce of the city and would be in just as urgent need of public support and foresight as airplanes. It might be pointed out that many cities, both in this country and abroad, were spending thousands of pounds sterling each year on the purchase of land for airdromes and for the erection of hangars, and proper

landing facilities for land planes, both private aud commercial. Such expenditure was generally recognised as necessary for the proper development of a city. In the case of flying-boats, attention must be drawn to the fact that the great cost of acquiring land for airdromes was entirely obviated and for a few hundred pounds at the start, all the necessary accommodation aud facilities for flying-boats could be provided. If the Harbour Board would adopt such a far-sighted and inexpensive policy as suggested, it would receive the' approbation of all aviation circles and very materially make up for New Zealand’s backwardness in aviation. “The best site for the moment for an airport for flying-boats seems to be Orakei Bay,” Captain Harkness continued. "The position is very handy to the city and aircraft using it could get off the water of the bay or taxi out, up the harbour first.” In Orakei Bay planes would he safely removed from the ordinary water traffic of the harbour. Hangars built on the foreshore to accommodate them need not In any way spoil the beauty of the surroundings and should be a distinct asset to the neighbourhood in the rapid transit facilities they provided. At the conclusion of the reading of the letter, the chairman, Mr. M. H. Wynyard, said, “This is a matter that should certainly be taken into consideration in the interests of planes.” On the motion of the chairman the letter was referred to the board-in-committee.