LOW FLYING?

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 4, 6 January 1937, Page 5

LOW FLYING?

'PLANES AX DUNEDIN. i HOUSEHOLDERS CONCERNED, nmmtrcnom to num. (By Telegraph.—o*l Cor iwpontot) DUNEDIN', this dir. Apprehension is felt on the part of a number of residents in Dnnedin hill suburbs at the alleged low flowing of air liners on their way to and from the aerodrome. It is claimed by some residents that the altitude at which the aeroplanes fly is dangerously low. It is estimated at various heights up to 500 ft. Flying regulations state that aeroplanes flying over cities must keep at such a height that if their means of propulsion fail they can land outside the jtown area. "The pilots know the regulations and they also know that they will get into trouble from the company as well as from the Director of Civil Aviation if they are disobeyed," said the manager of the Dunedin branch of the Union Com* pany, Mr. Cunningham. "They also have their jobs to think of, as well as their reputations and wives and families, so that they are not likely to take unnecessary risks," he added. Though there was a limit laid down, there were many direction* in which : pilots had to exercise their initiative in ■ order to counteract the effects of bad i atmospheric conditions, and to take , advantage of favourable winds. Mr. ' Cunningham pointed out the difficulty of [ accurately estimating the height* of - quickly moving aeroplanes and instanced [ the case of a complaint received from a ! dweller on one of the hills, who claimed , that an aeroplane had almost dived on . top of them. A reference to the pilot's , log showed that the machine had pa««ed . that vicinity at an altitude of 1500 ft. »| 'It is liko telling a captain how to 11 navigate his ship," 5 concluded Mr. Cun[ningham.