EMPIRE AIRWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19740, 13 September 1927, Page 13

EMPIRE AIRWAYS.

BASE IN NEW ZEALAND.

REPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT. WEATHER INVESTIGATIONS. No announcement can yet be made by members of the Imperial Airships Mission as to the site recommended for an airship base in New Zealand. Mr. M. A. Giblett, superintendent of the British Meteorological Office and superintendent of airship meteorology in England, returned to Auckland from Wellington yesterday morning. He said the report of the mission had been handed to the Prime Minister, and the policy of New Zealand novv rested with the Government. Mr. Giblett spent most of his time in the South in Wellington, consulting with the Government meteorologist, Dr. E. Kidson. He was able to make a study of weather conditions, and inquire into the system of forwarding weather reports from outlying stations. In the event of a station being erected in New Zealand, such reports would have to be sent there. There would have to bo more stations sending in reports, and reports would have to be furnished to the base at least four times a day. Mr. Giblett also considered it important that steamers crossing thei Tasman should send weather reports to the airship base. Mr. Giblett was struck with the varying weather conditions in New Zealand. This he thought was due to the north and south trend of the islands, with conditions of varying latitude and the disposition of high land. "The mountains exercise a pronounced effect on weather conditions," he said. "Even during my brief stay, which has been most interesting and profitable, I was able to make a careful study of the application of the methods of forecasting weather recently developed in Europe. Dr. Kidson and I came to the conclusion that the same methods could be adopted here. "Dr. Kidson and I went carefully into the organisation required here if the New Zealand Government becomes a party to the scheme for Empire airways. I have left here complete details of the England to India airships, so that they could be adapted to the Dominion, and a similar organisation built up." Mr. Giblett said he had flown from Trentham to Christchurch in the Bristol fighter used by Captain J. L. Findlay in bis flight to Auckland. He had been piloted by Captain M. Buckley, and the journey had been broken overnight at Blenheim. The short journey from Trentham to Blenheim, at a height of 9000 ft., was most interesting, three different cloud formations being encountered above Cook Strait, two distinct layers below the aeroplane and one above. The flight to Christchurch the following morning also afforded opportunities lor valuablo weather observation. Flights had also been made by GroupCaptain P. F. M. Fellowes, the leader of the mission, and Flight-Lieutenant S. Nixon. They will remain in the South for a few more days, and will leave for Sydney by the Marama on Friday. Mr. Giblett will leave for Sydney by ' the Niagara to-day in order to make some further meteorological investigations for the Australian base.