PHOTOGRAPHS FROM AIR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19394, 31 July 1926, Page 10

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM AIR

THE FLIGHT TO FOXTON. JOURNEY WITHOUT HITCH. VALUE OF AERIAL SURVEYS. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] PALMERSTON NORTH, Friday. .An excellent flight was made by Captain Buckley from the Wigram aerodrome, Christchurch, to Foxton, yesterday. Leaving Christchurch at 10.25 a.m., the aeroplane arrived at Foxton shortly after 1 p.m., the flying time being approximately 2% hours. The aeroplane landed on Mr. S. Austin's property at Himitangi about four miles from Foxton. A good landing was effected, the aeroplane being signalled to the landing ground by means of smoke and ground signals. Captain Buckley was accompanied by Mechanic H. H. Smith, both being members of the New Zealand Forces. The landing ground had previously been mapped out by Captain Wilks, director of the Government aerial forces, who arrived at Foxton on Wednesday night. Captain Buckley said the flight had been a splendid one. Little difficulty had been experienced in locating the landing ground. The weather had been good and as he came through the clouds over Fox-, ton he could easily pick out Palmerston North. The Aeroplane's Route. The pilot experienced no difficulty whatever on the run up. There was a following wind. The distance between the two points is approximately 300 miles. The machine, a D.H. 9 (De Haviland), equipped with a 230 horse-power Siddelly Puma engine, averaged an air speed of 90 to 95 miles an hour. Captain Buckley followed the usual air route to Blenheim, flying at 5000 ft. The aeroplane then turned and made a direct line across the Straits, which are 15 miles wide at this point. The altitude was altered prior to leaving Blenheim to 10,000 ft., to enable a safe passage across the Straits should the aeroplane develop engine trouble. After crossing the Straits the machine passed over Cape Ter&whiti and followed the coast up to Foxton, arriving at 1.15 p.m. The machine is one that was built for bombing during the war. Captain Wilks said that Mr. F. C. Hay, engineer of the Manawatu-Oroua River Beard, had telegraphed to him and asked if a machine could come up to Foxton to take photographs of the flooded Manawatu district. The request had been acceded to. It would be rather ambitious to say that the object of the flight was to make an aerial survey of the country. The idea was to make a mosaic by piecing photographs together. They were cognisant of the great value these mosaics had been in the case of the Waimakariri and Ashley Rivers in th'e South Island. Quick and Efficient. In the c&se of the Ashley River the value of an aerial; survey had been more truly demonstrated than, .in the case of the Waimakariri, although the Waimakariri had been surveyed at great expense. Even an aerial mosaic had proved of great value. They, bad done tbe Ashley River survey and as a result the engineer had only ; to go and take, .a . few levels. This method of observing rivers by' means ofan aeroplane was'quick and efficient Aerial observation would prove invaluable in future, in fact, of national 'importance. The department had recognised this fact. From" the air it was possible to see two distinct' river beds, one where the Waimakariri River,' used to flow, and the present river bed. These beds could be tracked by air right from the Sockburn 'aerodrome.' They had also made a mosaic of Christchurch which measured about four feet square. This showed the present plan-of the town to be wrong. Aerial observations were not costly and saved a tremendous amount of time. They could do in a few hours with an aeroplane what would take months to do on land, and even then the work could not be accomplished half as well under the latter system. The Public Works Department was taking a keen interest in aerial surveys and was now conferring with the aviation branch in connection with obtaining surveys of Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau and the surrounding country which had never been explored.