AERIAL CROSSING OF COOK STRAIT

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 128, 24 February 1930, Page 7

AERIAL CROSSING OF COOK STRAIT

arrangements to be made by PILOTS. Dominion Special Service. Blenheim, February 22. Tdrn of the remits which were laid before the conference of aero clubs con.cerned the crossing of stretches of water, Cook Strait being specified in one of them. Flight-Lieutenant W. 8. R. B. Cronifield, of Auckland, moved that where pilots have occasion to fly wer an expanse of water, where a forced descent might be possible, it should be obligatory on all occupants of the machines to wear lifebelts. The Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay instructors (Flight-Lieutenants J. C. Mercer and T. W. White) supported the idea, the former suggesting that it should be made compulsory, lest pilots should “dump” the belts as superfluous. It was pointed out that it was outside the power of the conference to compel pilots to wear lifebelts, and the remit was amended to read that it be n recommendation, to pilots to wear lifebelts, it being carried in this form. Mr. 11. G. Dickie, M.P., on behalf of , ITawera, moved that the conference dis- ' cuss regulations to govern the crossing of (Lok Strait, and Wing-Commander Grant-Dalton stated that the matter had been receiving his consideration. He was proposing to make it compulsory for all pilots undertaking any cross-country flights to notify their objective by telerram, and the time of departure, and when they had arrived, telegraph back to their starting point t,he fact of their arAs the Government had the matter in hand, the remit was withdrawn.