NEW AIR SERVICE

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 451, 19 June 1937, Page 7

NEW AIR SERVICE

YESTERDAY’S TRIALS

Lockheed At New Plymouth The Union Airways’ Lockheed Elrtlra. ail-mc’al passenger-carrying monoplane made a perfect 1 tiding - t the Bell Block..aerodrome yesterday and pull.’d up in a seemingly incredibly short distance for so larg c machine. The pl ne w'-s m. king one of the surv.y flights before the Commencement -.of a regular service between Auckland and Well ngtqn via N-.w Plymouth cn June 27. Tne i.ights are bemg mace to accuu oni the pilots to the landing grounds and th.- features ,01. the -rouFe. UEiuii Airw. ys hi s parehrsed three of these monoplanes tor use on the Auckland-New Plymouth-Palmerston Nor.h-Well.nt/tm seiv.ee. Two have already b. en assemol ,1 and tested and the third will arrive in New Zealand Lt the end of next week. They re all-metal mach.nes and carry a crew of : wo p lo.s and 10 passengers, besides having ample accommodL tion ter freight and mails They are capable of a speed of 210 miles an hour and cruise Ul: 185 miles an hour. The plicnes are equipped with twoway radio telephone and telegraph equipment, which permits of direct contact with the new radio transmitting and receiving station erected at the airport. Both to-day and to-morrow two of the Lockheed plLnes will land on the airport flying to schedule between Auckland and Wellington. The southbound machines will land at 1.4 p.m. and the planes to Aucklend at 1.46 p.m. A Plane will fly from Auckland to Wellington on Monday, and It is then unlikely that th. re will be any further flights until the opening of the service the following Sunday. The machine, ZK—AFD, whidi landed yesterday, is named Ku ka (Godwii) and w'.s piloted by Commanders G. A. Blythe and C. M. Duthie. Speaking to pressmen yesterday Commander Blythe said that conditions on the flight were cloudy but they flew above the clouds at about 10,000 feet. They left Wellington ait 12.30 p.m, and their flying time from. Fclmsrston North was 59 minutes.

During the flight the two-way radio

telegraph and telephone system was use-d to ithe new radio station at the New Plymouth airport Reception Whs very clear and the transmissions from the plane were clearly picktd up at Bell Block. Questioned who her the regular schedule would be over the direct inlandl rout" or around the coast Commander Blythe said that llhe direct route would be usel except under exceptional circujnstaricbt and there wrs no need to survey aif alternative route around the coast. To avoid any high ground on I the’route it was necessary to make only a 10-mile detour from the straight line between Palmerston North and New Plymouth. He said that the landing surface at New Plymouth airport' was very good and that the airport was satisfactory in every respect for such planes as the Lockheed EledtiU and commercial aviation generally. The machine, brought, (to New Plymouth the latest type of barometer. This is to be used at the aerodrome 111 connection with the supply of ■daily meteorological reports. A spee.tel weather report was handed ito Commander Blythe immediately on Hie arrival of the plane.