SEAPLANE BASES

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1929, Page 3

SEAPLANE BASES

MORE REQUIRED. MINISTER’S ANNOUCEAIENT. WELLINGTON, May 3. A telegram from Napier early this week stated that the Minister of Defence, the Hon T. M. Wilford, had said that he was looking for another seaplane base besides Hobsonville. In reply to a qustiun on the subject to-day, Mr Willord made it clear that his main object was to select suitable places for the landing of seaplanes should they leave their home hangers at Hobsonville. He pointed out that it was necessary to find safe landing places for these machines, as thcii radius of operations would he determined accordingly. It was no use sending such ’planes out fir a distance from tlio base without first of all ensuring they would have adequate facilities for alighting and taking off. Mr Wilford said that while in Napier. lie had made a part inspection of the locality for a suitable landing place and the Director of Air Services (Major T. M. Wilkes’) would visit Napier again to go more closely into the matter. He was also considering whether Porirua Harbour would afford suitable conditions for the landing of such machines. It is understood that seaplanes require a deptli of some six to.ten feet of water over a runway of up to a mile in length and conditions such that they can take off into the wind, no matter from what quarter it is blowing.