South to Magallenes

Last summer Norwegian Aero Transport Co. inaugurated a 1,000-mile airline up the rugged coast of Norway to Hammerfest, northernmost port in the world (TIME, June 8). Last week, two Sikorsky 543 amphibians left Connecticut to fly to South America to inaugurate a 1,000-mile airline down the rugged coast of Chile to Magallenes, southernmost port in the world.

Magallenes (Punta Arenas) is on the north shore of the Straits of Magellan in the lee of the Andes Mountains just before they march down into the Antarctic Ocean. A modern city of 25,000 people, mostly European, Magallenes is protected by the mountains from the terrific Patagonian winds, has a golf course, race track, football field. Chief industries are sheep raising, coal mining. Approximately as far south of the Equator as Cartwright, Labrador is north of it, Magallenes is now at the beginning of summer, only time the new airline will be able to function. Operated by Linea Airea Nacional of Chile, the route, an extension of the present Santiago-Puerto Montt Service, will be flown by two Dornier flying boats and a Loening amphibian in addition to the new Sikorskys.

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