Originally Posted by
OUAQUKGF Ops
Thanks Kwithrottlejockey for those superb photographs. Are you able to say where and when they were taken?
Late December 1937, at Mechanic's Bay, Auckland, New Zealand. The Pan-Am Sikorsky S-42 arrived on December 26th, the Imperial Airways Short S.23 Empire arrived the following day. The Sikorsky S-42 was subsequently lost the following month on 11 January 1938 in a mid-air explosion when returning to Pago Pago in Samoa while dumping fuel following engine problems on its next flight to New Zealand. It had first visited in March 1937 on a survey flight to New Zealand, and held the honour of being the first flying boat to visit New Zealand. The December flight was a commercial flight, carrying mail but no passengers.