Fledgling Air Force

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 134, 27 August 1927, Page 9

Fledgling Air Force

Search for Landing Field i Minimum of Progress in Dominion YESTERDAY 8 frantic search for an airplane landingground in the neighbourhood of Auckland furnishes an interesting sidelight on the present position of New Zealand’s air services. Before Captain Findlay could start from Christchurch, his advance agents had to scour 60 miles of territory to make certain that there was a landing ground within call of New Zealand’s largest city.

A S a. confession that practical aviation in New Zealand has not ad- j vanced very far, the necessity of going to Mangere for an extempore aviation: field is illuminating. A few miles on the other side of j Auckland is the Hobsonville property, purchased some time ago for , development as an air base. So far has the project languished that it was apparently beyond consideration as a ■ terminal for to-day’s flight. . The lack of enterprise thus disclosed cannot be attributed to the < officers of the Air Service itself, but i to the niggardly policy pursued by - the Government in aviation matters. f AT A STANDSTILL J

At present the service comprises five commissioned officers, and 15 of other ranks including three cadets. The director of air services receives the munificent salary of £485 a year, and the total annual pay-roll is £6,583. No immediate increases of staff are contemplated, according to the 1927-2 S estimates, which set out the programme of imminent expenditure. A review of last year’s allocations, with the actual outlay, is of interest. For casual duty flights £l5O was set aside, and £ 101 expended. Airplanes are still rare sights in the Dominion, and, outside Christchurcch, the taxpayer sees little visual evidence that he is a shareholder in a national aviation scheme. The service seems to have been commendably reluctant to spend too much money last year. SURVEY AT HOBSONVILLE Of the £1,245 allowed for instruction abroad, only £Bl2 was spent; £1,500 was allowed for refresher courses, and only two-thirds of the grant was lifted. For aircraft and equipment £19,400 was allowed, and £14,773 expended, to which item

, there is a footnote, “Material ordered, | but not delivered.” j lii all other major instances there I was a liberal margin left, at the end j of the year, from the estimated allowj ance. Last of all, there was £4l to spare from £95 set-aside for a survey of the Hobsonville airdrome site. Not a penny is included in the current estimates for specified expenditure at Hobsonville, though, there is a moderately lai-ge allowance of £19,400 for the purchase of aircraft, spares and equipment. The policy to be followed was outlined by General Young, G.0.C., in the defence report submitted to the House when the Estimates were presented. The existing air fleet comprises 16 machines of various types, including the D.H.50 flown to Blenheim by Captain Findlay to-day, but some of the planes are practically obsolete, and to keep them airworthy, according to the report, laborious effort is requii-ed.

FRUGAL TREATMENT In view of the necessity for development, a scheme of pi-ogressive purchase of service and trainng aircraft has been prepared, but it is spread over a considerable period—-not until 1930-32 will the annual outlay exceed £3s,ooo—and bears all the hall-marks of frugal treatment. Particularly disappointing, to Aucklanders, is the absence of any hint that seaplane or flying-boat work, for which Hobsonville is so well adapted, is to be given immediate encouragement. Under the circumstances the survey of sites for an airship mooring mast is taken, by those interested in aviation development, to mean nothing at all. On the rate of progress to date it will be a long time before the mast is erected.