CALIFORNIA CLIPPER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 August 1939, Page 7

CALIFORNIA CLIPPER

ARRIVAL AT AUCKLAND YESTERDAY EIGHT THOUSAND MILE FLIGHT. TWENTY-THREE PEOPLE ABROAD. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND. August 30. For the second time, after an interval of 20 months, two transocean fly-ing-boats. British and American, were moored this afternoon side by side in Auckland harbour. Thousands of eager spectators witnessed the arrival of lhe Pan-American Airways’ huge 70-passenger California Clipper from Noumea, completing a survey flight of nearly 8000 miles from San Francisco, and inaugurating an immediate fortnightly service between the United States and New Zealand. Among those who welcomed Captain Tilton, the clipper’s veteran commander, was Captain Burgess, of the Tasman Empire Airways’ flying-boat Aotearoa. which had arrived from Sydney two days before. The clipper, which covered the 1117 miles from Noumea in 6 hours 22 minutes, carried a total complement of 23, bringing as passengers a party of PanAmerican executives and the United States Government officials, representing the Civil Aeronautical Authority, the Navy and Army Air Corps and the Coastguard, as well as additional staff for the Auckland base. She made a spectacular landing in the harbour fairway against a stiff westerly wind, which rose at times to 40 miles an hour. An informal reception was held after the flying-boat berthed and the crew and passengers were welcomed on behalf of the Government and local authorities of Auckland. The return survey flight will begin on Saturday. SERVICE TO START SAN FRANCISCO-AUCKLAND. FLIGHT EVERY FORTNIGHT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August 30. While lhe inauguration of the passenger service from San Francisco to Auckland is subject to the approval of the United States Civil Aeronautics Authority, Pan-American Airways hope to bo able to begin this within a matter of weeks, according to Mr J. C. Leslie, operations manager for the Pacific division of the company’s services. Already the company was virtually ready to begin ordinary passenger flights on the route, he added. Mr Leslie said the company’s pre- | sent intention was to run a fortnightly ! service to New Zealand. Preliminary I study of how best to combine North | and ’ South Pacific routes suggested that Sunday departures from San Francisco could be most satisfactory. Auckland would be reached on the following Friday, four days out, when allowance was made for crossing the international date line. The return journey would be ipade during the following week. The capacity of the Boeings over the long route to Auckland would be about 36 passengers, Mr Leslie said. There was substantial traffic between the United States and New Zealand, pnd the company expected good support 1 from the start. From present indicaj tions traffic was likely to develop con- ! siderably.