REPAIR MATERIALS FOR HUTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 135, 19 March 1948, Page 2

REPAIR MATERIALS FOR HUTS

Delivery by Air at Mt. Cook * * TASK SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Mar. 18. A Dakota aircraft of No. 41 Squadron of the R.N.Z.A.F, today undertook the difficult, task of dropping hut repair materials at the Tasman Hut, on the Haast. ridge at Mt. Cook, and at the Hooker hut., in the precipitous Hooker Glacier on the southern side of Mt. Cook.

The aircraft worked at times from a height of only -100 feet above the lints, and in the case of the Hooker Glacier runs, cleared the southern slopes, of Mt. Cook by 100 yards when negotiating the difficult turn at the bead of the glacier. It. was the first lime that a. large aircraft had attempted 1o work between the rocky, snowcovered slopes of the Tasman and Hooker Glaciers.

The Dakota was one of the squadron which dropped saplings for afforestation purposes in the Tararua Ranges in the North Island, last year, and the captain of the aircraft (Flight Liontenan R. Weston) was present, on that occasion as second piiot. In “Target Area"

Although some doubts were entertained at, first concerning the practicability o’f the venture, me two trips were excellently organised, and of me total of 43 lovvt, bundles dropped over the lints, only three landed without their parachutes opening, and none was missing from the “target area," so far as could be ascertained late today. The doors had been removed from the Dakota for the trip and about a third of the port side of the machine was open during the whole llight from Wigram to Mt. Cook. The bundles were arranged near this opening, and the parachutes were clipped on to wire loops on the bundles. A static line from the parachute to the aircraft acted as a ripcord which released the parachute when a bundle was thrust overboard. Only one bundle struck the aircraft. It was the last one ■ — particularly cumbersome which was dropped on the Tasman Glacier. The bundle struck the wheel below the tail and glanced off, sending an appreciable .shudder through the machine. This was the only misadventure during more than 500 miles of flying in one day in dangerous mountain territory territory with which none of the aircraft’s crew was familiar.

Perfect Conditions

Although thfe weather over the Canterbury Plains was not ideal when the Dakota left Wigram, the sun was shining in the Mt. Cook region, and conditions were perfect for identifying the Tasman hut and for flying. A huge circle etched in the snow near (lie hut indicated thq “target area," and the dropping runs were made ocross the Haast, ridge in a southwesterly direction, the Dakota clearing the ridge at times by only -500 feet.

Reports from the Tasman hut heliographed to the Hermitage and telephoned to Wigram stated that all of the bundles fell near the hut and wore easily recoverable. The run across the ridge Avas done at between 1)0 and 100 miles an hour, and the Dakota was over the dropping area for 45 minutes. Each run up and back across the target area.Avas seven miles, and took three, and a half minutes. The aircraft followed the' ridge and the shape of the Tasman Glacier when, doing these runs.

Glacier Followed

The afternoon run up and down the Hooker Glacier probably established flying history in New Zealand. The Dakota, to drop the bundles above tlie Hooker hut, had to fly doAvn the glacier from near the summit of Mt. Cook, and had to lose 6000 feet of altitude in two miles, hugging the southern slope of the glacial, cliffs, so that the parachutes Avould not carry their burdens into the glacier below the hut.

The sun had cast heavy shadows across the area, where the Hooker hut stands. At 4.48 o’clock when the aircraft arrived at Mt. Cook, watchers at the lmt lit a fire as a ground marker and the Dakota began the series of terrifying ascents and descents of the Hooker Glacier. The runs, began at the top of the glacier and finished at. the bottom, and the aircraft described a wide ellipse with each circuit. During this flight the co-pilot, of the'Dakota (Flight Lieutenant K. B. Smith) piloted the aircraft.