AIR SURVEY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 99, 7 February 1936, Page 2

AIR SURVEY.

THE WOP-K IN HAWKE’S BAY. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, February 5. With the object of producing a complete topographical map of New Zealand, a permanent mapping _ niittee under the Surveyor-Crenel al (Mr H. E. Walshe) has been set up by the Prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage) to co-ordinate all mapping activities. The Minister in charge of Civil Aviation (the Hon. F. Jones) announced to-day that early this month a start would be made with the mapping of 1000 square miles of Hawke’s Bay, this area having been selected as the .first demonstration of air survey on a large scale, as three Government departments and, several local authorities were interested. The Minister added that the work would gradually be extended to all main centres. “A Vickers Vildebeeste machine of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, piloted by Flight-Lieu-tenant M. W. Buckley, will take off from Hastings early this month to photograph 1000 square miles of Hawke’s Bay,” said the Minister, “weather permitting. This is no light proviso, for good visibility is essential. In 48 flying hours a permanent record will he made of ground features from Eskdale to south of Waipukurau as a ffrst step toward producing an up-to-date contoured map. Three years’ skilled work at great expense would be necessary to obtain the same information by traditional survey methods.”