Plans for the starting up of the North Atlantic Air Service, London-Montreal have now been announced.
d it is understood that Canada will own 24 per cent. of the epierprise.
with a certain amount of"Govern-which will be a commer Bees mental backing. Great care has been taken in the establishment of bases.
For the present it is planned to have flying boats leave London and make intermediate landings at South-erick, Ireland: Botwood, and Shediac, New Brunswick, before reaching Montreal, This route does not deviate by more than 75 miles from the Great Circle, which is believed to be the most economical from the point of view of distance. The longest stretch will about 2,010 miles.
Undreamed of speeding up in the mail services will be possible if the new route is crowned with success.
It. is planned to leave London at 8 p.m., so as permit of collecting the at the close of a business day. By this means Botwood would be reached about 11 a.m, and Montreal about 5 p.m. Thus mail posted in London on a Monday afternoon could be delivered in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, New York or Boston, on Wednesday morning.
Similar speeding up would be effected in mail to the Pacific Coast, and on to the Orient. For example, ihe letter posted in London on Monday afternoon would reach Vancouver by ordinary mail on Saturday morning; if it continued across the continent by air, however, it would be delivered in Vancouver Wednesday afternoon. To follow it a little further, a letter posted in London on Thursday afternoon could reach Vancouver in time for an Empress sailing, and should be in Shanghai in just two weeks. Further speeding up could be attained if connection were made with the Clipper ship.
At first it is planned to carry only mail and express, and it is believed that about 4000 Ib. can be carried each week. Later about 25 passengers per week could be accommodated. It is hoped that with the improvements in flying aids the dangers and difficulties of fog will be overcome, as this has always been a menace to shipping on this route.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.