FREE OF ACCIDENTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22242, 30 January 1947, Page 6

FREE OF ACCIDENTS

DAKOTAS IN NEW ZEALAND LOWER TAKE-OFF LOAD (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Jan. 29. Although there have been several bad crashes overseas with Dakota aircraft, New Zealand aviation, fortunately, has been free of any such accidents nvith this type of machine. From October, 1945, to December, 1940, the internal Dakota service operated by the R.N.Z.A.F. covered 14,711,415 miles without accident. The permissive take-off load in New Zealand for Dakotas is lower than that allowed under the British regulations. Here the take-off weight for aircraft engaged in civilian work is fixed at a maximum of 26.2001 b., compared with the British figure of 28,0001 b. The New Zealand regulations fix the maximum landing weight at 24.4001 b.. which is also the Australian and United States figure. The method followed in New Zealand, however, is to fix the all-up weight at the landing weight, plus weight of petrol for the trip, so that in practice the take-off load is lighter than that permitted by the regulations. The wartime take-off load figure observed by the R.N.Z.A.F. under service conditions was the maker’s maximum of 31.0001 b. and the service landing load figure was fixed at the maximum of 26,0001 b. More Dakotas in Use

Opinions were expressed that some overseas airlines, too hastily organised after the war, were operating from airfields inadequate for Dakotas." Some of the pilots lacked experience in commercial flying and some were too cld for the job. It also has been pointed out that of every five commercial machines flying to-day four are Dakotas, so by the law of averages there should be'more Dakotas crashing than other planes. In New Zealand Dakotas are operating only from airfields adequate in size and on routes that have radio equipment _ necessary for lull navigational aids. In some places overseas the fields are ill-equipped and tlie size is too often insufficient for such machines as Dakotas. Often there is a lack of suitable flying control and efficient ground organisation for the handling of the aircraft. New Zealand civil airworthiness standards are high and tlie Dakotas operated here by the air force tire maintained at civil standards by civilian contractors. It is generally considered that tlie safety measures observed in New Zealand are of the highest standard and that tlie Dakota is a safe machine.