Weather Reports and Flying

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21386, 31 January 1935, Page 10

Weather Reports and Flying

The improvements in weather forecasting and the distribution of information about the weather, as well as the other aids to aviation on which Dr. E. Kidson. Dominion Meteorologist, commented in an inj terview printed in " The Press " on Tuesday, are notable, as he shows, | when what Australia has done is compared with what New Zealand | has not done. But even in Australia the present system is not as good as those which are being perfected in America and Europe. Particularly in the United States, i where aeroplanes on scheduled flights cover 140,000 miles every day, the weather reporting and radio systems have already been forced to a high state of efficiency, and money is still being lavishly spent on them to make commercial flying even safer and more regular than it is at present. Teleprinter circuits covering the main routes report the state of the weather at frequent intervals, and the knowledge gained by this reporting system is supplemented by the forecasts of the meteorologists. Because of this a pilot. is seldom called on to fly into unknown weather, and generally knows at what levels he may hope to secure the most favourable winds. In addition, radio beacons make it possible to fly through weather that a few years ago would have been regarded by the wise pilot as an excellent reason for staying on the ground. This is quoted merely to show how much flying depends on ground organisation; nothing of the sort is, of course, either practicable or needed in this country, and any system that would be at all costly would not justify its establishment. But to say that is not to dismiss the subject, for it should be possible very considerably to extend the service at present offered flying men at little extra cost. At the moment this would benefit only the aero clubs—and the cross-country flying done by their members is considerable—and the few commercial concerns operating. Nothing is more certain, however, than that air lines will be operating all over the Dominion within two years, possibly within one, and it will be in the public interest that they should be well served with weather information. Cheap rates are at present allowed for telegrams asking for and giving weather data, but this is not of great use unless the messages are given priority over all others. That would probably be difficult to arrange. Telephone calls for weather reports are treated as urgent and charged at the ordinary rates. Even so, this is costly, and the business may grow so much that the privilege will have to be cancelled. The obvious solution —and the difficulties in the way of it are not obvious —is the installation of short-wave radio transmitters at all the main aerodromes. By the use of these, weather data from all over the Dominion could be supplied to the Meteorological Office several times daily, if necessary, correlated by the department, and redistributed to the aerodromes. The New Zealand Aero Club considered a proposal for the installation of transmitters by the member clubs last year, but rejected it. Such work is not, indeed, for the clubs to do alone; and if they were asked to contribute only a part of the cost they would probably be willing to do that, and to provide an operator to be on duty for the short time necessary. Government assistance would be justified not only on the ground of the help to the movements of service machines, which will increase with the enlargement of the Air Force, b .t because the benefits of the service would cover more than those who fly. Alternatively, the whole of the meteorological work could be done by the Air Force, as is done in Britain, but that would unnecessarily swell the force and unbalance its work.