CIVIL AVIATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25301, 7 September 1945, Page 8

CIVIL AVIATION

LONDON CONFERENCES DOMINION AFFECTED EQUIPMENT AT AIR PORTS By Telegraph—Pres3 Association —Copyright (N Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. (i ■ After attending three important conferences on civil aviation in London, Air Commodore A. de T. Nevill is returning to New Zealand by air. He will visit Washington and Ottawa en route and expects to reach the Dominion about the middle of thp month. The conferences which he attendeu were those of the Commonwealth Air Transport Council, the Commonwealth and Empire conference on radio lor civil aviation, and the International Convention of Air Navigation. "All these will have the most important bearing on Commonwealth aviation and Commonwealth domestic air lines," said Air Commodore Nevill. "Throughout the first two conferences there was a strong bias toward the requirements of international aviation, as the Commonwealth cannot consider its own needs except in relation to international flying. In fact, the relations of one Commonwealth country to another, as far as reciprocity is concerned, are similar to those which it is hoped to make with foreign countries. Standardisation Aspect "Much of the work of these two conferences was concerned with ground organisation essential lor safety and efficiency in the air and the obvious need of* securing wide standardisation of such facilities. "It is natural that much attention should have been given to the peculiarly involved problem of international flying along the congested air routes ! of the North Atlantic and Europe and i at international airports in these i regions. . "We are approaching the clay when modern transport aircraft will fly without risk of collision and land at congested airports quickly in nil visibility. Dominion Air Lines "As far as New Zealand is concerned, the equipment to be used for domestic air lilies, particularly at international air ports, must conform with generally accepted standards, and the range ot equipment deemed necessary must be related to traffic conditions at air ports on air ways in the South Pacific region and. also to meteorological and topographical conditions in that zone. "Regarding the International Convention of Air Navigation, the chief ohject was to review existing regula- . tions whereby all signatory States, including New Zealand, are bound, and to bring them into line with modern practice. "It was also to ensure that the transition from this body to the conditions now being laid down by the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organisation may be smoothly effected. This council is now in conference at Montreal, which is the temporary site of the interim organisation." BAG OF GOLD STOLEN ' TAKEN FROM AEROPLANE ! AUCKLAND CONSIGNMENT | " CANBERRA, Sept. 6 A mail bag containing gold was stolen from an aeroplane between Sydney and M&lbourne this morning. Upon the plane's arrival in Melbourne a replica of the bag was found to contain only nuts and bolts wrapped up in newspaper. • The gold had been shipped from Auck- • land to Sydney and was to have been taken to Melbourne. The closest secrecy is being obseiwed on the reported theft, and neither the police nor the air officials will confirm or deny the report. However, the theft ■was reported this morning to the Post-master-General, Senator Donald Cameron. The authorities claim that it is one of the most audacious thefts attempted in many years. It is believed the bag of nuts and bolts was substituted for the bag of gold some time before the bag was placed on the Sydney-Mel-bourne plane. ■ A later message from Canberra states that the missing gold is said to be • worth approximately £2OOO. It was consigned from Auckland to the Melbourne Mint.It is stated that the mail bag was apparently intact when the plane arrived in Sydney. The police are believed to be working on the theory that the bag was exchanged in Sydney for another exactly the same in appearance and weight. They are puzzled as to how the thief knew the weight of the gold 60 exactly that he could substitute an identical bag containing the same weight of nuts and bolts. Tlie police are also trying to discover how the movements of the two planes were so intimately known. Extensive inquiries are being made in New South Wales and Victoria. Inquiries made in Wellington from the -Reserve Bank, the Mines Department and other sources failed to dis- < close that thev had shipped any gold , lately. It was stated that it was likely ( the bag of gold would be from one of | the mining companies on the wav to the ; mint in Melbourne to be assavecl. (