Transpacific Air
p. 42 · Read in the full issue
Honolulu to Auckland
BOEING flying-boats with accommoda tion for 50 passengers will be used on the San Francisco-New Zealand airmail route early next year, according to a statement made to Australian newspapers on December 3 by Mr.
Harold Gatty (representative in New Zea land of Pan-American Airways).
Mr. Gatty said that the route to be followed would be via Honolulu and Can ton Island to Auckland. He expected an announcement of the date of the start ing of the service to be made early next year. u
Losses On North Pacific Service
The Trans-North Pacific service of Pan- American Airways, Inc., which has been in schedule operation since November, 1935, and which has carried passengers since October, 1936, between San Fran cisco and Hong Kong, has made serious losses, according to newspaper reports late in November.
The loss in 1937 was $474,858, and in the first six months of 1938 it was $373,523.
It now has asked the United States Gov ernment for substantial subsidies, in cluding a subsidy of $7 per aircraft mile for the outward journey from San Fran cisco to Hong Kong. It has pointed out that it is seriously embarrassed by lack of equipment, since the “Samoan Clipper" was destroyed in December, 1937, and the “Hawaiian Clipper” on July 28, 1938. Ow ing to its heavy losses, it was unable to finance the purchase of new flying boats (Boeings are on order), and unless it could obtain Government assistance, it would have to depend upon assistance from the parent body, Pan-American Air ways Corporation.
The application at present is under consideration by the Civil Aeronautics Authority of the United States.
British Trans-Pacific Service
Mr. R. M. Wimbush, of the technical department of Imperial Airways, Ltd., who recently passed through Sydney en route to Suva with echo-sounding appar atus, will make a survey of Parengarenga Harbour, New Zealand, to determine if it will be a suitable base for the operation of flying boats on a Pacific service from Sydney to Canada, by way of the Fiji Is lands, the Phoenix Group, Palmyra and the Hawaiian Islands.
Trans-Tasman Service
It is reported that three flying boats have been ordered for the Sydney-New Zealand airmail service (the date for the commencement of which is still unknown).
Meanwhile, it is announced that the Ger mans and Italians, who operate airmail services between West Africa and South America (across the Atlantic) are chang ing from flying boats to land planes.
Mr. D. Ferris, S.D.A., missionary at Ambrym, New Hebrides, arrived in Syd ney by the last “Morinda” on his way to Melbourne to spend leave.
Master Herbert Fairfax Edwards, only son of Mr. and Mrs. H. G. Edwards, of Vaiala, Apia, Western Samoa, died in the Government Hospital early in No vember after six weeks’ illness. He was 19 years of age, and until the end of last year was a pupil at Takapuna Grammar School. Auckland, N.Z.