AVIATION PROSPECTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16501, 31 July 1919, Page 2

AVIATION PROSPECTS.

COLONEL BETTINGTON’S VIEWS. ON OUTLOOK IN NEW ZEALAND. BY TEI/EGEAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. WELLINGTON, July 30. In the course of an interview regarding aviation prospects in New Zealand, Colonel Bettington, Aviation Adviser to the Government, stated: “The time is not far distant when a business man in Auckland may order his machine in the morning to proceed ■to Wellington, where lie may transact his business and return in the afternoon. This will be done with as little thought as a car is now ordered to proceed to, say, Palmerston, or any other place distant from 2i to 3 hours. “Some people will own their own aero de luxe machines and keep a pilot, others will possess and fly their own, while another class may hire one for the day as they now do a car from a garage. Still others may merely buy a ticket for the journey and proceed by a regular service starting at a schedule •time. The old business saying “time is money” is still true, but as speed means time saved it is also money, and as the demands of civilisation are increasing so is the demand for speed, but extra speed costs more. THE FARMER’S AEROPLANE. “Aircraft will serve to reach far distant and inaccessible parts, and I see no reason why many fanners in the outlying districts should not own their own aircraft and proceed to and from their stations to town. It would not be a difficult or expensive undertaking for a farmer to provide a flat piece of grass land near his home from which to start and alight. On this a wood and iron shelter for the machine could be erected. The grass paddock would he used as ordinary grazing land, except for a few minutes when starting or alighting. At the other end there should be either municipal or privately-owned aviation garages, where machines could be left or housed during the time the business man or farmer was transacting his business. Where a. Government aerodrome existed probably arrangements could be made by private companies or owners to erect a few hangars and petrol stores for civilian uses. • “Now Zealand is not confronted with the problem of actual distance to the same extent as Australia, Canada or Africa, but rather with the inaccessibility of many of its places owing to the geographical and physical features. THE "DEFENCE ASPECT. “Although it may not be fully realised by the whole population .the immediate problem which should concern every good New Zealander is the defence of his country. All wars may be attributed to envy of another’s possessions, the richer the man or nation the greater the number trying to get his possessions from him will be. In business it is possible for individuals.to effect insurance against robbers; national defence is national insurance. Therefore, without in any way belittling the commercial side of aviation, the question that is perhaps most vital to New Zealand is the application of aircraft to national defence. The adequate protection of the Dominion has hitherto presented an almost insoluble problem; military experts have acknowledged that the thought of protecting the whole of your 8000 odd miles of seaboard solely by local land forces would be an. extremely difficult matter, and the difficulties of providing adequate protection by naval forces only is almost as great. The perfection of aircraft as a national defence weapon opens up the possibility of a third, and it may be, more effective means of repelling attack; at any rate a country thinking and working in three dimensions will defeat that operating in two. “Present day aeroplanes could very effectively attack a fleet 100 miles off the coast with bombs and torpedoes. On the other hand a civilised country, whoso main towns, industries and arteries are on the coast and not defended against aerial attack, could be subdued and compelled to capitulate by the use of aircraft only. Large towns would become untenable, railways and industries paralysed; especially is this the case in a town with- a large number of wooden and inflammable structures such as Wellington. “In times of pjace there appears to bo no reason why certain portions of the force and equipment necessary for the aerial defence of New Zealand should not be utiliesd for commercial use and mail transport, and thus the country might recoup itself for a portion of the cost of the defensive scheme, at any rate until such time as purely commercial needs demand a separate organisation. By this moans also would the possibilities of aircraft for civilian uses be demonstrated to the public. The training given to pilots and mechanics will go further to provide them with professions in civil life thf,n any other form of defence viz., fitters, carpenters, machinists, wireless operators. photographers, etc., etc., should all find ready employment in ordinary life.”