D.—l.

AERODROMES AND SUBSIDIARY SERVICES. During the year under review my Department has carried out a considerable amount of work in connection with Air Force Stations, aerodromes, and subsidiary services for both internal and overseas air routes. Since the outbreak of hostilities the principal objective has been to accelerate the completion of flying-fields and buildings at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Stations. Arising from war conditions, the Department has also undertaken the maintenance of several civil aerodromes which at present are not required for civil aviation, but for Air Force purposes. Air Force Stations. The resources of my Department have been fully utilized in the construction work required at Air Force Stations, particularly as regards the erection of buildings of all kinds, the installation of engineering services, and the construction or extension of flying-fields. Modern earth-moving machinery has proved invaluable in speeding up flying-field construction and in securing a maximum degree of consolidation to enable the ground to be used with safety immediately after grassing. The activities at these Stations have been governed by the requirements of the Air Department, and arrangements have been made whereby the maintenance of buildings and flying-fields at the Stations is also carried out by my Department on behalf of that Department. . . The following is a brief summary of the work completed at the principal Air Force Stations: — Hobsonville Air Base, Auckland.- Accommodation for personnel has been increased, aircraft-maintenance buildings and extra stores buildings have been erected, and various other technical buildings provided. Whenuapai Station, 'Auckland.—The construction of a flying-field comprising 400 acres has been completed, a large proportion of which is in use. One timber hangar and certain residential and technical buildings were completed, while further large works are proceeding. The two reinforced-concrete hangars will be in use very shortly. Ohakea Flying Training School, Bulls.—'This Station has been almost completed ; the flying-field is in use and all of the principal technical and residential buildings in the main scheme, which includes two reinforced-concrete hangars, each of 57,500 square feet, have been completed. . Woodbourne Flying Training School, Blenheim. —At this Station where work on buildings had just been commenced before the outbreak of war, four hangars and other technical and residential buildings covering a total area of 356,200 square feet have been erected, and the expansion programme has been almost completed. Wigram Flying Training School, Ghristchurch—Extensions are still in progress on the flying-field, while major extensions to residential and technical accommodation, have been completed. Work on building additions is in progress. In addition to these peace-time Air Force Stations, my Department has supervised the construction of Elementary Flying Training Schools at New Plymouth, Harewood (Christchurch), and Taieri (Dunedin), and the Ground Training School at Weraroa. Civil Aviation and Air-route Services. The construction of civil aerodromes and landing-grounds which were commenced prior to the outbreak of war has proceeded, but no new major construction works on civil aerodromes have since been commenced. Although civil aviation has been considerably curtailed, the internal air lines which have continued m operation show that the number of passengers and the quantity of freight carried compare very favourably indeed with the figures for the preceding year. Services' ancillary to the construction and maintenance of civil aerodromes and emergency-landing grounds have been continued throughout the year. These services comprise the establishment of radio-direction-finding stations, radiocommunication facilities serving aerodromes along air routes, and a meteorological information service. In connection with these facilities the Department has had

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