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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1118.PDF
South Pacific Traffic Personal Impressions of Some Important Routes and their Equipment By IAN H. DRISCOLL THE tabling in the New Zea-land Parliament last year ofthe report of the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Mission to New Zealand, led by Sir Frederick Tymms, K.C.I.E., M.C., F.R.- Ae.S., provided a concise review of the Dominion's civil aviation organizations and a series of well- conceived recommendations. One problem ably dealt with was the situation of international airports in New Zealand, which for some months had brought forth claims—invariably supported strongly by civic pride, if by nothing else—from a score of different centres through- out the country. The Mission, making it clear that its recommendations were based primarily on density of popu- lation, considered that Auckland, Wellington and Christ- church were the only centres justifying international air- ports. This would probably bring about the construction of a new airport at Auckland and the development, includ- ing the laying down of concrete runways, of Harewood, Christchurch; in the matter of Wellington, the capital city, insuperable dimculties of terrain would make the construc- tion of an international land airport within forty miles of the city impracticable and the establishment of a marine base for overseas traffic appeared the only solution. This AUSTRALIAN and New Zealand airlines•** now fly a number of services between the islands of the South Pacific, whileseveral international operators are in process of opening up routes betweenthat area and North America. The author of the accompanying article has had theopportunity of studying these develop- ments and of assessing the value ofrecommendations made by the South Pacific Air Transport Conference suggestion must lead to the con- sideration of the economics of fly- ing-boat operations in this part of the world, having regard to the financial outlay for such a base. Development of Rongotai Airfield, Wellington, to a Class E airport for internal traffic was recommended, and other recommendations in- cluded additional support for pri- vate flying clubs by the Govern- ment, the issuing of air-taxi licences to clubs and private operators, and higher salaries for senior officers of the Civil Aviation Branch of the Air Department. The requirement that the national operator. New Zealand National Airways Corporation, must qualify for an A.S.C. Rating issued by the Civil Aviation Branch of Air Department was deemed unnecessary, since a policy of one government branch supervising another could be carried on ad infinitum; private operators, however, should qualify for an A.S.C. Rating. As was reported at the time in Flight, the South Pacific Air Transport Council met in Wellington last autumn and the following recommendations were made: — (i) The adoption of Short Solent flying boats by Tasman Empire Airways, Ltd., for the Auckland- Sydney and possibly Wellington-Sydney routes.
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