Nz Extension

Pacific [?]ices

[?]S Still Awaited

xtension of the Transports rie n s Intercontinentaux s-Noumea service to d was still not functioning her 9. extension, postponed now ral successive months, was to have been in operation October, oned on the subject on his by air at Christchurch, to his new post as French in New Zealand, Mr. 3 Bercegol de Lile said that ench Airline was quite bo commence flights to d immediately. All that ited was a go-ahead signal ie New Zealand Govern knew, he did not say what dus point was delaying aland permission—and the land Minister in Charge of iation would also make no b when questioned by the taking off for the SPATC in Melbourne, the Min ommented sourly: ' TAl’s bative knows as well as I the delay is not the fault NZ Government.”

J representative said in on October 9 that negotia re still in progress between ne and the NZ Govern-

I Meets in Melbourne

outh Pacific Air Transport meets in Melbourne on 15 to discuss matters to the area under its This body advises member ents (UK, Australia, New Canada and Fiji) on relating to aviation, dll be represented at the by the Financial Secretary, W. Davidson, and an t Colonial Secretary, Mr. S. hall. [evelopment of Fiji’s Nadi has usually been on the at the Council’s meetings t years and no doubt Nadi :ern them again.

Ireadv concerning residents who have become used to stopping place on an inter air-route but who fear th the jet age, Nadi may be considered redundant, mge of jet aircraft becomes md longer—the range of new Boeing 707 jets due rery in 1959 is 3,500 miles 1 pay loqd. Nadi is only 000 miles from Sydney,

A Peep at Things to Come

Giant American 8.47 Stratojet bombers will attempt a non-stop Pacific flight in November. It is planned to refuel the bombers in mid-air somewhere in mid-Pacific.

A force of US Thunderjet fiighters is expected to make a non-stop, 5,000 miles flight from Japan to Australia about the same time.

RAF Bomber command chief. Air Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst, who was in Australia with the Vulcan jet bomber in September, suggested that the RAF might try to do better —a non-stop, 9,000 miles flight from London to Darwin without refueling. But that was before the Vulcan crashed on its return to London after its Australian visit. (Sir Harry Broadhurst was one of the two

pilots who escaped by using an ejector seat. Four others were killed m the crash which destroyed the Vulcan).

Super-Constellations for NG

Towards the end of 1959 Papua- New Guinea might see new aircraft on the Sydney service to replace the Skymasters which have done mighty service for the last five years.

When it was announced in Canberra last month that Qantas would buy seven Boeing jets it was stated that the Super Constellations would be diverted to other suitable routes.

If Super Constellations are used on the NG-service the air ports at Port Moresby and Lae will have to be brought up to standard. (Over)

presents no trouble in the f Port Moresby, which is [y being brought up to the i standard. But it is matter as far as Lae is ed. present airport at Lae is passable for Skymasters, nways cannot be extended, re the long-pronosed airport ahang will, it is presumed, ) be built before Lae can Lodate Super-Constellations.

INSPAC a Year Old

Caledonia’s internal air- TRANSPAC, has completed year of operations, having arried 5,057 passengers and 10,000 pounds of freight— mostly with one small de id Rapide.

Company now operates two and is buying two more ji Airways—one to be put :vice, the other for spare