HELP TO SHIPPING

Grey River Argus, 6 August 1937, Page 7

HELP TO SHIPPING

New Aeradio DIRECTION-FINDING FACILITIES The aeradio service of the New Zealand Post Office, the latest extension of its work for the benefit of aviation in the Dominion, will also provide facilities which under certain conditions would be of great value in connection with marine mishaps in New Zealand waters. These radio stations at the principal aerodromes are being equipped with direction-finding apparatus primarily for the purpose of the commercial air services _oi_the Dominion. They will transmit on 900 metres —the aeronautical calling wave for communication —so that ships equipped with direction-finding apparatus, as well as the aviators, mayuse these signals as a help in fixing their position when approaching the New Zealand coast.

Of great importance, as far as ships are concerned, will be the ability of operators of aeradio stations to take bearings of a ship in distress and approximately locate its position, though this may on account of bad weather and other unknown factors, differ considerably from the position sent in the distress message. Such a service would be invaluable when the ship in distress and the rescuing ships are not fitted with facilities for direction finding.

In connection with the recent loss of the plane piloted by Miss Amelia Earhart, the United States Naval authorities called attention to the point that if the plane had sent out its distress signals on the 600 metre band, on which wave the search steamer “Itasca” had direction-finding facilities it would have been possible to have taken a bearing and thus improve the chances of success for the searchers.