250,000 Acres Top-Dressed In New Zealand

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 16, Issue 30, 8 December 1950, Page 3

250,000 Acres Top-Dressed In New Zealand

Since the beginning of aerial topdressing in New Zealand nearly 250,000 acres have been top-dressed in this way. A good proportion of this acreage is in the Waikato, where two companies are at present engaged in these operations. To the end of August, 8964 tons of superphosphate had been dropped on 101,816 acres throughout the Dominion. Improved flying weather and more operators coming into the work have stepped up the totals since then.

Two pilots have been killed and two have gone to hospital with injuries. Operators meet suggestions that the work is dangerous . with figures showing many more farm workers have been killed by tractors in the same period. Experienced operators, knowing that accidents are bad publicity, have suggested that some operators are “jumping the wagon” with too little preparation and experience. The counter argument is that in any business some men are more careful and efficient than others. 35 Machines Engaged About 35 planes are now engaged on top-dressing work. Two or more pilots are available for each plane. Several more aircraft are in hangars having hoppers fitted for carrying the superphosphate. Except for two Austers, all machines are Tiger Moths. Designed as training planes, they have been pressed into top-dressing work as the only type available in any numbers. Intended to operate off prepared airfields, the Tiger Moths are striking occasional incidents in operating from farmers’ ' paddocks, sometimes in valleys with erratic winds.

International flying records show that 85 per cent of all accidents happen during taking off or landing. As the top-dressers are taking off and landing once in about four minutes’ flying, instead of once in eight hours, as with the flyingboats, some disparity in the numbers of accidents is to be expected.