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Air Routes from Hong Kong with a view to finding out the types of machines that may be used, it is not possible to draw up the plans for the building of a suitable Air Port at Kai Tak.
Air Routes on which heavier than air machines fly are of two classes, Land and Sea, short sea crossing by land machines, and cuts across narrow strips of land by seaplanes do not effect the question.
Land Routes from Hong Kong.
Aviation, in the form of Commercial Air Routes over land is not likely to progress for many years, the country does not lend itself to this kind of flying in as much as there are practically no natural landing grounds, mountains and deserts are numerous, and the interior is so wild that rapid commercial travel is out of the question, and of very little value.
A direct air route from Hong Kong to India is out of the question owing to the mountains.
A local air line might well be run from Hong Kong to Canton as there is an aerodrome there and the distance is short and considerable business is carried on between the two towns in normal times.
Hong Kong to Hankow would seem to be a possible route, the following outline of the direction this might take is of interest.
HONG KONG to HAN CHAN. 280 miles. Passing over the range
of mountains to the south of Kan Chan at Nan-hinng, where there is a pass 1,000 ft. above the plain.
KAN-CHAN to LIN KIAFG. 150 miles.
LIN KIANG to FANKOW. 210 miles.
After leaving the Kan Chan the route follows the River Kall, contimes, leaving Lake Poyang to the right and so along the River Yang Tsi Kiang to Hankow.
The total distance is roughly 640 ruiles and could
be done in the day with ease.
Sea Routes from Hong Kong.
If the map of China and the surrounding countries is examined it will be seen that the places with which Hong Kong requires linking up with air transport are,
SHANGHAI and JAPAN to the North, The Philippine Islands to the East, and SINGAPORE to the South.
To Shanghai it is roughly 850 miles, the route is along the coast, a journey by air over the sea.
To The Philippines is all sea, with a main crossing of about 500 miles.
To Singapore is another sea trip via the coast of French Indo China, and the distance is approximately 1,250 miles.
Both the first and third of these routes are possible today with modern flying boats.