TEAL's 10th Birthday

THE first Tasman air crossing was made by the late Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his co-pilot, Charles Ulm. in the Southern Cross in September, 1928.

It was the culmination of their amazing flight across the Pacific from California to Australia but was regarded by most people at that time as tempting Provi dence just a little too far.

However, Smithy and Ulm made it—in a flight lasting 14 hours 25 minutes. It was not until Hi years later (April 30, 1940) that there was any real follow-up on the excellent job they had done in pioneering trans-ocean air transportation.

On April 30, 1940, regular trans-Tasman flights were inaugurated by Tasman Em pire Airways with the Aotearoa (the second flying-boat, Awarua, did not arrive in Auckland until seven months after Aotearoa).

From that day, under all conditions, TEAL flying-boats have maintained the link between the two dominions and were, during the difficult Pacific war and im mediately post-war period, the only regular passenger and mail service bet ween New Zealand and Australia.

The old Aotearoa and Awarua, which carried about 20 passengers and made the crossing in from 8 to 11 hours have, since the war, gone to the scrap pile. They were replaced by Sandringhams (peace time name of Sunderlands) and these in turn have given way to Short Solents, which carry 44 passengers and make the crossing in between five and six hours.

When the Solent, Aotearoa 11, made the crossing from Auckland to Sydney on April 30, 1950, passengers were treated to a birthday party which included a large cake made and iced in the shape of the flying-boat. The plane was commanded by Captain C. Griffiths, who has been with TEAL since its inception.