LANDING AID AT AIRPORT

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29856, 23 June 1962, Page 4

LANDING AID AT AIRPORT

Operation Next Month ' Christchurch airport will have its £50.000 surveillance radar equipment operating on a limited basis early in July, (die since Christmas, because of a lack of trained operators, the equipment is expected to become increasingly operational as more trained staff becomes available.

The regional superintendent of the Civil Aviation Administration (Mr L. E Duke) said It would be difficult to forecast the hours the equipment would be in use It was hoped to have limited radar surveillance from the Cossar 21 unit operating early next month. At present New Zealand was experiencing an extreme shortage of air traffic control staff. To try to overcome this shortage the controller of air ■ raffle services was at present in the United Kingdom recruiting staff So far 24 had been selected but it was not exported that they would arrive ir the Dominion until later this year. The areonautica! services training school, which is now situated at Harewood airport, will move into new premises at Harewood early next year. Plans are being drawm by the architectural division of the Ministry of Works In Christchurch to convert an old building It was formerly used as flats. The new building provides for a model areodrome and lecture rooms for instruction in radar, air traffic control, meteorology and mapping.