Pilots Say Airport Aids Are “Impossible Burden”

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29748, 15 February 1962, Page 15

Pilots Say Airport Aids Are “Impossible Burden”

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, February 14 The dilatory and haphazard installation of navigational aids at major New Zealand airports was calculated to place an impossible burden on operators, said the Airline Pilots’ Association in a statement tonight. The association said that a month ago it asked the Director of Civ.l Aviation, Sir Arthur Nevill, to indicate what aids wxild be installed in time for the openin’ of the Auckland international airport at Mangere in 1964.

No reply had bqen received as yet.

•‘We are deeply concerned at what appears to be lack of planning for the provision of aids adequate for the

requirements of faster and bigger airliners expected to use the Auckland and Christchurch international airports." said the statement “The basic aid available in New Zealand at present is the non-d:rect:cnel beacon —which is about 30 years old Rudimentary Aids “For its size. Christchurch airport has possibly the most rudimentary aids in the world, and on present indications Mangere will be opened with navigational aids installed in one direction only, which means in effect that it will be only half an airfield ” The association said it was obvious that radio aids installation was not keeping pace with airport development.

“While a survey is being made by Australia of its navigational aids five years ahead. New Zealand has not installed the equipment it needs at the moment,” said the statement. No Basic Plan

“The diversity of aids installed in the last few years is an indication of the absence of a basic plan in New Zealand. with poor utilisation of available resources and consequent waste.

“Ideally, the instrument landing system planned for Mangere should be adopted throughout the country. But

the one installation at Mangere will be of no use to internal operators because it is not economically practicable to provide the necessary equipment in their aircraft for use at only one airport. “The worst weather conditions at Mangere will require aircraft to land from the south-west. No precision landing system is provided in this direction, posing a problem for big jets which must be lined up accurately on their approach to the runway.

“The weight and speed of big jets prevent any lastminute manoeuvring to get into position for landing.” Greater Disruption

In these conditions, said the association, the minimum weather standards for landing must be raised, and greater disruption of traffic would occur.

“If millions of pounds are to be spent on aircraft as well as airports then the Government must be prepared to pay for the radio aids which are indispensable for proper utilisation,” said the statement.

The association suggests that becauase of the considerable use made of civil aviation facilities by the RN Z A.F.. the defence vote should contribute to the cost lof installing and maintain--1 ing these facilities.