CINESOUND REVIEW - AUCKLAND NZ: CALIFORNIA CLIPPER COMPLETES SURVEY

The newsreel clip begins with Pan Am plane descending and landing on the water at Mechanics Bay flying boat base (Waiitemata harbour, Auckland), August, 1939.

The accompanying voiceover: “Fortnightly air service between the United States and New Zealand comes nearer to reality as, over Auckland harbour, soars the giant flying boat ‘California Clipper’, completing a survey flight of nearly 8,000 miles across the wide expanses of the Pacific. Smoothly, easily, the 70-passenger comes down after covering the last hop from Noumea, New Caledonia... ”

Voiceover continues: “Auckland’s new flying boat base - a lesson to Australia ... already shelters the Empire flying boat ‘Aotearoa’ ...”

Passengers walking the gangway ashore include “executives of Pan American Airways and of the United States Government, as well as reinforcement for the Auckland base. They are led by Captain (John) Tilton ....”

Voiceover: “Old Glory flies in a country that’s glad to welcome it ... ”