THE AERODROME

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 55, 28 November 1929, Page 15

THE AERODROME

POSITION OF HANGARS

REPLY TO WING-COMMANDER DALTON

(By

“Civis.”)

It is not known whether Wing-Com-mander Grant Dalton, Director of the New Zealand Air Force—a newcomer to the Dominion —has an intimate knowledge of the peculiarities of the prevailing winds in Wellington, and if so, whether he has considered them in relation to the exact points of the compass. Had he done so it is not likely that he would have committed himself so definitely in the view lie expressed concerning the location of the hangars and mast at the Rongotai aerodrome. He has said:- —"Ihe wind mast was all right where it wiis, and the colour ot the wind cone could be settled when the landing ground was finished off and laid down in grass. It would not be green, one of the colours suggested, as that would not show up against a grass lauding area.” / . The criticism made in Monday s Dominion” was that’the mast was out of position, and as things exist, the wind eone (a tubular kite), showing white against a yellow-white background, was not the best contrast for airmen when aloft. It was not stated that greeu would do when the place Was grassed, but a green, black, blue, or red cone would be more noticeable from above than the present cone, which is not much more.eftective than a white shirt on a clothes-line. The wind cones at Croydon and Hendon are at least three times the length of the one at Rongotai. Direction for Landing. Wing-Commander Dalton said they did not want aviators to descend over the hangars. That is quite beside the point. All the “safe” airman wants is'to land “in the eye of the wind,” and if it is south-easterly at Rongotai lie has to land over the north-west corner of the aerodrome —and that is where the hangars have been placed—on the advice of the Air Force authorities Then Wing-Commander Dalton proceeds to endorse Monday's.criticism by seeming to combat it. He said: “In the event of a southerly the aeroplanes could approach over the low ground ,at Miramar and descend into the aerodrome over the neighbourhood of the golf house, which would enable them to touch land about 50 yards inside the aerodrome. If they could not get in that way then they should take a course more to the west, approaching the ground from the direction of Kilbirnie P. 0., and coming down at the northern end of the western side, again reaching ground about 50 yards inside the aerodrome, but if they came over the hills and houses north of (he aerodrome, they would not touch the ground until 200 yards or so inside owing to the extra height at which they had to approach, and which involved going over the tramway overhead wires when entering the ground. Such proximity would be avoided by going further cast or further west Exactly—the hangar is at the “northern end of the western side,” and the commercial 'planes are descending just ■as the officer would wish. Position of the Hangars. Wing-Commander Dalton says: “The hangars were in the best spot, and when more were erected they would be at the game end of the ground, and towards the golf links.” ... Here again he endorses the criticism, whilst seeming to combat it, for by placing the hangars nearer the golf house, he does the very tiling which should have been done originally—for that would leave the north-west corner of the aerodrome free of all obstructions. North-west from Rongotai is in the direction of the Kilbirnie recreation ground'; south-east is toward the fishermen’s huts (between Lyall Bay and the heads). .