TRANSPORT BY AIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20171, 4 February 1929, Page 11

TRANSPORT BY AIR.

PROGRESS IN AMERICA.

NEW ZEALANDER IMPRESSED.

EXAMPLE FOR NEW ZEALAND.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN correspondent.] BLENHEIM. Saturday.

"My message for New Zealand is that a new era has dawned in matters of transport, that aviation has definitely passed the experimental stage, and is rapidly becoming a serious competitor to other forms of transport over long distances, anil that every municipality in the Dominion must seriously consider the establishment of air ports or landing grounds." In these words Mr. H. P. Dix, president, of the Marlborough Aero Club, who has just returned from the International Aeronautical Conference held in the United States, predicted that within a very few years the air mail would bo a commonplace in New Zealand, as it is in America and in Europe. Ho urged that municipalities should prepare for the coming of the new system. Mr. Dix stated that aviation in the United States had developed like a-mush-room and had virtually sprung itself upon the community in the night. It was developing so rapidly, he said, that the community could not keep paco with it. Landing fields which were regarded as adequate for all possible developments a couple of years ago have had to be scrapped or enlarged, and millions of dollars were being spent in keeping pace on the ground with the phenomenal and never-ceasing growth of traffic in the air. Where a hangar and a landing field sufficed a little time ago tnere naa developed huge air ports replete with engineering shops, administrative buildings, and range after range of hangars. The fields, all elaborately lighted for night flying, and the routes from one city to another were pricked out with great beacon towers, Great Commercial Developments. "Aviation," said Mr. Dix, "is developing principally on the commercial side. With mail service planes equipped with passenger accommodation on one of our flights between Salt Lake City and Cheyenne, in Wyoming, a distance of about 270 miles, the Boeing plane in which we travelled carried a pay load of 20001b. of mail matter. The other machine in which the Australian delegates were accommodated carried 18001b. of mail. These were payable loads, and the tendency naturally is to develop the profitable side of the business. There arc landing fields or air ports at almost every town on the route right across the United States, while emergency grounds are almost everywhere." On the trip between Salt Lake City and Cheyenne, in which the route lies over the American "Rockies," Mr. Dix had an experience of night flying which demonstrates the efficiency with which the Americans have tackled the problem of lighting the air routes. The mountain tops are ornamented with great light towers, some carrying revolving lights and some flashing lights, and so placed that the aviator has no difficulty in finding his way from one beacon to another until he reaches his destination. In addition to the general lighting there are special searchlights which are directed into the wind, and the airman has simply to land down the beam of light, the plane itself being always in the shadow. Expenditure on Research. Mr. Dix was also impressed with the amount of money which the American Government is spending in aerial research work. What might be termed the headquarters of this department is located at Dayton, Ohio. The City of Dayton had presented the Government with over 2000 acres of land for the establishment of laboratories, testing grounds, and air ports. Hero at the Wright airport almost every machine made was under observation, nnd test. The Ford all-metal triniotor machine, similar to that being used by Commander Byrd in the "-Antarctic, was an outstanding machine, and was becoming very popular. Coming back to New Zealand conditions Mr. Dix said he considered that an air mail service could be developed in this country with advantage. The great length and narrowness of the Dominion made it peculiarly suitable to such a service, all the principal towns being laid out along the one route. To his mind it was only a matter of selecting the best typo of machine for the purpose. Possibly at first a service from one end of the Dominion to the other on alternate days would be sufficient. There was little doubt that the combination of air mail and passengers would aSord a good pay load.