AIR BASE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 62, 15 March 1938, Page 8

AIR BASE.

DEFENCE OF CITY. HOBSONVILLE SCHEME. STRATEGICAL POSITION. PROGRESS OF NEW BUILDING. Tn preparation for the expansion of the ;iir arm as Now Zealand's first line of defence, important developments are jh.vv in progress at the Hobsonville air base. ( ,n the upper liarhour. Bf.utin five months ago. an 18 niontlis' constructional programme is being carried out to make tlio base the principal ground instruction centre in the Dominion for tho training of youths in the mechanical pidc of aviation. The comprehensive scheme includes the provision of largely-increased accommodation for the trainees, the extension nf the landing ground for land 'planes by levelling an adjoining area of former farm land, and a similar extension of the seaplane apron to provide for the requirements of water aircraft and amphibians near the take-off at Hobsonville Point. Tn the enlarged accommodation block. 170 trainee.! will be housed. The additions, which consist of two wings, are at opposite cnd« of the block already in use, and under the same roof will be well-equipped workshops where the trainees will have ample opportunity to try their hands at experimental work, also a library where air force literature and magazines on engineering will be a feature, and recreation rooms and a big common room. Young Trainees Arrive.

Already 40 youths who will have their homes in the first of the new wings have arrived from Trcntham, where they recently carried out two months' preliminnry training, and it has been necessary to convert the existing recreation hall into a temporary dormitory for them. Added to the 54 trainees who have been there for some time the new arrivals have raised the total tp 94. Within a few weeks the first of the two wings mentioned will be completed, and it should be occupied before Easter. One of the difficulties experienced, which has caused some delay, is the shortage of tiles in Auckland and meanwhile the only covering on the roof is malthoid felt. Work on the interiors, including the floors, joinery and fittings, should be finished in about a fortnight. The concrete basement of the other wing waa put down early in the year and the framework for the doublestorey building is now taking shape. About three months will be required for the completion of the work. An expenditure of about £25,000 is involved in the building scheme, and many carpenters and other tradesmen are engaged. Aircraft Development. The changes required in the landing ground at the base are a consequence of recent aircraft development. Larger 'planes than were contemplated when, the base was established are now being constructed and it is essential that these should be able to land and take off safely at Hobsonvillc. Although the base may serve mainly as a repair depot and ground training school in the future and actual flying may be comparatively unimportant in its curriculum, it is essential that all types of 'planes should be able to come and go freely. Thus riobsonville will take its place as an integral part of the Dominion's air defence organisation.

In a picturesque setting, near the tapering tidal waterway of the Waitemata. where a bush-covered slope on the opposite shore odds to the attractiveness of the scene, Hobsonville is considered to be strategically placed. The combination of land and seaplane facilities is regarded as an advantage from a defence point' of View, and the location is one which apparently gives the necessary scope for expansion.