AVIATION QUARTER

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 46, 18 November 1936, Page 11

AVIATION QUARTER

Record Number of Licensed Pilots SERVICES’ FIRST WINTER Four hundred and thirty-eight pilots, the highest number on record, held valid licences at the end of September, according to returns compiled by the civil aviation branch of the Defence Department. This figure represents an increase of 23 over the figures for the previous quarter. Of these, 369 are private or A licences and 69 are B or commercial licences, the corresponding figures for last quarter being 348 and 67 respectively. Ground engineers numbered 87 as against 92, a decrease of five, while the number of certificates of airworthiness rose from 68 to 71. Aerodrome licences also showed a rise of two, the Dominion having 35 public aerodromes and 17 temporary ones licensed. Commercial Services. The effect of the winter months tlie first winter through which the main services have operated is seen in the department’s efficiency rating. Neither Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd., on the West Coast, or Union Airways. Ltd., were able to maintain their 100 per cent, rating gained last quarter. Air Travel came nearest with a 99.3 per cent., having missed only two of the 309 flights scheduled. Union Airways came next with 94 per cent., having missed five trips out of 182. Cook Strait Airways’ record shows a further drop to 89.2 per cent., but its lower figure is accounted for by the peculiar physical conditions with which it has to contend. Nevertheless, its planes made 854 trips to schedule in the three months. Cook Strait Airways leads in the number of passengers carried, its total of 2945 being nearly double that of Union Airways, 1521. Air Travel, with its small machines, carried 285 passengers. In tlie amount of mail carried the trunk service heads the list with 10,545 lb., followed closely by Air Travel with 10,2451 b. Cook Strait carried 47611 b. Cook Strait Airways carried the most freight, 42421 b., Air Travel taking 26661 b. and Union Airways 17531 b. The totals for the quarter as compared with the previous three months show a decrease of 300 in the number of passengers, but an increase of nearly 2001 b. in the amount of freight and of 26001 b. of mail, the figures, with the June quarter in parentheses, being:— Passengers, 4751 (5076) ; freight, 8661 lb. (84701 b. mails, 25.5511 b. (19.92 S lb.). Aero Club Operations. So far as the aero clubs are concerned, Auckland heads the list in membership, with over 600 members, of whom 123 are flying members. Western Federated comes second with 421, of which 86 are flying members. Wellington is third with 343 members. Auckland has eight aircraft, Wellington, Otago, and Southland five each. In the number of pilots with valid licences, Auckland leads with 70, Canterbury filling second place with 61, and Wellington third with 48. Canterbury topped the list for flying, with 457 hours, Auckland being second with 337, and Middle Districts third with 300. The amount of flying shows a decrease. Dual Instruction dropped from 1058 hours to 842 hours, and solo and passenger flying from 2072 hours to 1750 hours, but weather conditions during the winter months would account for both these decreases.