THE AIR FORCE

Hokitika Guardian, 14 August 1930, Page 3

THE AIR FORCE

PRACTICAL WORK. S'iAERIAL SURVEYS FOR LOCAL h|i >.. f..y : i BODIES. ■|j. ©e -WELLINGTON, August 11. ■ c The 'annual report of the Defence Department shows that the strength of e'ilie ■ New Zealand permanent air force is now eight officers and fortytwee other ranks, an addition of two officers and . twenty-five other ranks . over Eiat-of last year. These numbers, .include fifteen apprentices undergoing train the Wigram Aerodrome. OF the year’s work, it is shown that in Janiiirry, Fligth-Lieuteiiant Wa 1lirfgford 'proceeded on H.M.S. Dunedin to 1 Samoa / with a D.H. Moth seaplane, equipepcl with wireless, and carried out valuable reconnaisance work.

Training and; refresher courses for officers qf, the, New Zealand Air Force •(Territorial),, and Aero Club instruc-■'toTsf-were' carried out at the Wigram Aferodrotne’during the period January fttoJ.Mhri.3iv- Flying: time has totalled !o'v<bi? sseven hundred hours, without injury to personnel of serious damage to •dirdTa-ft? V/ *

During the past year the aerial sur'vey''SP^Clu r isEchurch City, and including eight surrounding countries, with a total area of forty square miles, on t*. scale oh five chains to one inch, has been completed to the satisfaction of the* Christchurch City Council. An aenal survey of three hundred square Maniototo district, on a‘ scale of twenty chains to one inch, for the Public Works Otago Central irrigation scheme is well under way. Other smaller surveys have also been undertaken for > various Departments notably a series of oblique photographs lilies in the West Coast earthquake area, which proved of. .considerable value Jp tljeJjGeOlogiqqT Department. • i .The who were'jm-, 'listed aaj^defcs-'November ’ have; %%jthe same time i filed j4ars r . : ahd an adequate proppj^ihl^Mf! trailed.fitters and rig-! rers must be’maintained. T, 1 The Territoria.|' > i|ir / /Foifce. unit is ninety officers aiid‘' ! nineteen . othbr ranks. Nine pilot officers who completed training last. year carried' out a atl^tlie!- Wigram Aero-, January,, during which they received more advanced instruction in gunnery/ bombing and navigaand March, forty officers - attended a series of refresher courses' at the Wigram Aerodrome. Instruction included aerial gunnery and theyoHSp.' pf;;; the pameira -pbsepra;; and cajinera/g-pn.. .P.ennissiop ,ha,s been pb'taTned to carry but 'aerial ‘gunnery over which the AVigrani'Aerodrome., and is admirably ..suited 4 purpose: '*

In the Northern Command, aeroplanes .from _Hcbsonville_ co-operated .VjSfi fi|ld and medium I)<ft- ; tgt|l?J:.isi and a yery -sneeessf nl -«eri es was --onrWitjt aic-obsorvation, w .;