Airmen’s activity In Central Otago’s Isolated Areas

Grey River Argus, 20 September 1949, Page 8

Airmen’s activity In Central Otago’s Isolated Areas

“WHITEBAIT EXPRESS”

The mountainoous nature of the country about Lake Wakatipu has posed many problems for station owners with high-country runs. The enterprise of a group of airmen operating a private company at Frankton is doing much to eliminate some of the difficulties, however. They have four aircraft, which have been converted to suit the needs of the country. The use of aircraft to lay rabbit poison is an innovation in the Wakatipu area, Mr. F. J. Lucas, manager of the company stated. Pie had started the idea in Marlborough last year, and it had proved successful when started on the hills around Queenstown. The ferrying of whitebait from Big Bay has been one of the company’s operations for several seasons, Mr. Lucas said. They also landed at Martin’s Bay on an airstrip that had been specially prepared by three brothers fishing in that 'area. The brothers had loaded all their gear into a 14ft dinghy and sailed down the Hollyford through Lake McKerrow to their present site. They wanted their catches flown out and promised to clear a strip. Working with shovels and picks, they had the job completed in 10 days. In recent weeks the airmen have been ferrying whitebait from Big Bay and sowing grass seed and rabbit poison. The busiest season is approaching however, for during the next few months they will have to sow lime, muster cattle, and carry out their usual scenic trips for tourists. Supplies have to be ferried to outlying stations and repair and maintenance work carried out on the planes.

At present the company is engaged in sowing seed and laying rabbit poison, with regular trips to Big Bay for whitebait. The aircraft have been fitted with hoppers, through which the seeds or poison stream out from beneath the cockpit. When the top-dressing season comes around the hoppers are used to spread lime. It is possible for Proctor planes to carry 7cwt on each trip, and the cost of top-dressing by air is reasonable. Although the aircraft are seldom called upon to muster sheep, they are often used to locate cattle. The pilot flies up gulleys and over broken country, marking each group of cattle on a map. When he has covered the complete area the maps are dropped to musterers, who have little difficulty in rounding up the beasts. In an area like the Lakes district, where the population is widely spread with little means of transport, the use of aircraft were varied, Mr. Lucas added.

Emergency calls were always answered, and a special stretcher was carried in the plane. They had even been called in to take maternity cases to hospital. Mr. Lucas hopes eventually to get a float plane to use around stations near the lake shore. It would be based near Frankton, and would make the carriage of stores, equipment, and passengers much easier. The aircraft company had a suitable plane in mind, worth over £7OOO, but which was capable cf carrying about seven passengers.