LARGE ACREAGE TOPDRESSED FROM THE AIR IN N.Z.

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1950, Page 8

LARGE ACREAGE TOPDRESSED FROM THE AIR IN N.Z.

WANGANUI. This Day (0.C.).~~ Nearly 250,000 acres have been topdressed from the air in New Zealand since the beginning of this work. , Two pilots have been killed ana two have gone to hospital with injuries. Operators meet suggestions that the work is dangerous, with figures showing many more farm workers to have been killed by tractors in the same period. To the end of August,-8964 tons of superphosphate had been dropped on 101,816 acres. Improved flying weather and more operators coming into the work have stepped up the totals since then. Experienced operators, knowing accidents to anyone in the business is bad publicity, have suggested that some operators are “jumping on the wagon” with too little preparation and experience. The counter-argu-ment is that in any business some men are more careful and efficient than others. There are now about. 35 planes flying on top-dressing-werk. Two or more pilots are available for each plane. Several more planes are in hangars having ■ hoppers fitted for carrying the superphosphate. . Except for two Austers, all the planes are Tiger Moths. Designed as training planes, they have been pressed into top-dressing work as the only type available in. any numbers.

Intended to operate off ■ prepared airfields, the Tiger Moths are striking occasional incidents in operating from farmers’ paddocks, sometimes in valleys with erratic winds. International flying records show that 85 per cent of all accidents happen during taking off or landing. As the top-dressel’S are taking off and landing once in about four minutes’ flying, instead of once in eight hours, as with T.E-.A/L. some dispariW in the number of accidents is to be expected.