Completion Of North Island Navigational Aids

Chronicle (Levin), 6 February 1948, Page 4

Completion Of North Island Navigational Aids

WELLINGTON, Feb. 5. The installatiou within th-e last few days of a new radio range at Vvaitara niearis that aircraft flying on the niain national rontes in the North Island will soon be provided with rauio aids through the whole of their journey. Radi(j ranges already exist at Auckland and Wellington. Tlio civil aviatiun branch of th-e Air Department condueted preliminary trials of the Waitara installation reeentlv and it xvill soon be in full use for connuercial aircraft. The radio range is another Iink in the national network of radio aids to aircraft navigation. The Auckland range has four beains, th'ree lying approxiraately north, east and west and are. use.d by aircraft 'oh the . interuational services, while the fourth is directed to. the south-cast aivd passes over Rukuhia. The Wellington' "installation has two beaxns, oue over the eity ai-ea toward the south and the other north ov er Wanganui/^-- ••The,.- * New Plynrotxf h* range xvill complete the plan for the North Island niain routes by providing oue beam passing over Wanganui and other over Rukuhia. The aircraft will be ecjuipped with a special radio receiver which inuicates to the pilot either aurally or visuallv, whether he is ou the Ixeam or to tlie. right or left. A coxumerical plane leaving Auckland will follow the beam , from Whenuapai to Rukuhia, then from Rukuhia to Wanganui and then on to Wellington. Special beacons are being installed at Wanganui and Waitara to indicate automatieally to the pilot xvlien he has reached these turnmg points.