POST-WAR FLYING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25216, 31 May 1945, Page 7

POST-WAR FLYING

LIKELY DEVELOPMENTS THE USE OF LAND PLANES "If you wish to know about postwar aviation in New Zealand yon should have invited Mr Fraser or Mr Nash along here, because the whol<mutter depends entirely on Govern incut policy," said Captain Oscar Harden, chief pilot of Ta.sm.-ui Empire Airways, when addressing the Auckland Junior Chamber of Commerce yesterday on post-war living. Australia was taking steps to introduce nationalisation. and Britain had announced its plans In a White Paper, although, of course, the coming election might cause a reversal of plans there.

"It Is ft bad thing for New Zealand that, nothing has been done about internal air services," continued Captain Garden. Britain, Canada, Australia and South Africa were all obtaining aircraft, at the present lime, and there appeared no reason why New Zealand could not do the same. Australia, in particular, had made considerable additions to her fleets recently, and progressive planning in New Zealand was urgently needed. Experience Overseas Experience in England and South Africa had shown Government-con-trolled airways to be not altogether satisfactory. In Canada, nationalisation had proved successful, but only because politics had been kept rigidly out and the best business brains recruited.

The greatest benefits to passengers after the war would come from the so-called "pressurisalion" of planes, which really amounted to keeping the air pressure as close as possible to that of sea-level, no matter to what altitude the aircraft climbed, the speaker explained. This would practically eliminate air sickness, for pressurisatJon would enable a plane to climb "through the weather" In about ten minutes to a place above the clouds where "bumps'' no longer exist. This was not possible today because aircraft had lo climb and descend In slow stages to guard against too-rapid changes in air pressure. Lower Costs Predicted "Nobody can foresee the extent of post-war air traffic," said Captain Garden. "With developments In plane design, operation costs per passenger will be reduced, and competition must also force the fares down." He thought that tourist traffic to New Zealand might also show an Increase as a result of air transport. "It looks as though land planes will be the aircraft of the future for some time to come, although increased traffic may bring the flying-boats back eventually," Captain Garden continued. "All-weather flying is easier with land planes, for 'blind" landing might be difficult with sea-based aircraft because of the necessity for keeping large areas of water clear." Pressurisalion was also more difficult to apply to a flying-boat, it would be some years before jet propulsion could lie used with commercial machines, but the gas-turbine principle would be used with the conventional airscrew before long. Jet propulsion planes had been found much smoother in operation and the vibration was practically nil.