HELICOPTER USES

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30849, 7 September 1965, Page 14

HELICOPTER USES

Big Savings Seen The New Zealand Electricity Department could save itself a lot of money by instituting helicopter patrols of power lines, said Mr J. R. Palmer, a helicopter pilot with extensive experience in New Guinea and the Australian outback, before the Air Services Licensing Authority yesterday in Christchurch. Mr Palmer, who has logged about 4000 hours in flying helicopters, was giving evidence in support of an application for a helicopter licence, sought by a Christchurch firm, to flv deer carcases out of the back country Helicopters would be very useful in the building of power lines, said Mr Palmer Pylons could be flown into difficult country in sections. To build roads in rugged country, over which he had flown helicopter surveys for power lines, would result in fantastic cost, he said. This had been found in building the n»d f rom the West Arm , Lai . e Manapouri over the Wilmot Pass to Doubtful Sound.

And that road will probably be impassable in the winter„b«ause 01 snow >” he Helicopters could also be “sm for transporting pipes for the Kapuni gas line, Mr Palmer said.

The British Trade Commis‘J? X he South ,sl « nd (Mr P. c. Burdett) will visit Oamaru and Titnaru from I tomorrow to Friday.