CALL AT RONGOTAI?

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 13, 15 July 1935, Page 10

CALL AT RONGOTAI?

THE PREVIOUS RULING

In today's announcement the board states that it does not propose to reopen the question of Wellington as a point of call provided that the companies comply with the conditions laid down. .. • The board, in its statement, on April 11, referred to Wellington as a calling point and the provision of an alterna: tive landing ground (pending which regular calls would not be permitted) as follows: — The state of the aerodromes on each route is an important factor affecting all the applications before us. It may Happen , that services licensed by us will be ready to operate before the landing grounds proposed to be used are fit for the purpose. We have asked for a report to be furnished to us on the state of these grounds, and when it is ready we shall be in a position to say which grounds can be used at once. An inter-departmental committee is at work on the matter, and the information collected by it will be of great value and will guide us in allowing or refusing the use of any ground. Until we know any aerodrome is in a safe and proper condition its use will not be permitted and the licence will not include it. RONGOTAI CRITICISED. ■ We desire to refer to the special case of Wellington as regards any flying service in which it is an intermediate port of call. Subject to the report of the committee mentioned above, which may result in some modification of its views, the board feels it is incumbent upon it to make special provisions having regard to- the difficulty and danger of making calls at Wellington, due mainly to climatic reasons. The same consideration does not apply to an equal extent to the short distance flights already licensed between Wellington and Blenheim and ■between Wellington and Nelson, because on them the weather condi- " tions in Wellington can be more •easily forecasted when the flight begins. For the' long distance flights, further precautions must be taken. Evidence given by experts, and not contradicted, shows that on at least 10 per cent, of the flying days a landing at and departure from Wellington could not be made according to timetable, arid that on at least \ per cent, of such days 'a landing or departure could not be.made at. all. The Hon. J. McLeod also was of opinion that Wellington must be omitted at present. ' We are fully aware of the importance of Wellington as the capital city and the focal point of all business interests in the Dominion, but we cannot take the responsibility of allowing Wellington to be a regular port of call under present conditions. ■ The personal safety of travellers is involved, and in view of the distance from other landing grounds, we feel it would be wrong for us to allow pilots to take the risk of landing at Wellington without certain restrictions. We realise the importance of this decision, but we realise also our duty in the matter. With passengers for Wellington on board, or with passengers to pick up, the temptation would be strong to land under dangerous conditions. •

The aerodrome at Rongotai may be as good as some witnesses say, or it may be capable of improvement, but

in addition to it (or substitution for it) there must be a landing ground provided at some other place more remote from the dangerous climatic conditions which prevail in Wellington.

Such a ground should be sought and prepared for the service. We are informed that Porirua would probably not be satisfactory, but it may be possible to obtain one at Paekakariki. Until such a ground is available, at least for emergency landings, we cannot allow a regular call at Wellington. When the company is formed, we may be able to frame suitable provisions to cover the case meanwhile. We refer to the fact that even at Croydon where all the latest appliances are in use, it appears it is frequently impossible to land ar.d an emergency ground is used.