AVIATION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20513, 3 September 1936, Page 8

AVIATION

GOVERNMENT SEEKS ADVICE BRITISH EXPERT ON HIS WAY OUT By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, September 2. The fact that an additional aviation expert from England is to visit New Zealand for the purpose of advising the Government, particularly on military aviation, was announced to-night by the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage). It had been definitely settled, Mr Savage said, that the DeputyDirector of Civil Aviation to the British Air Ministry, Mr F. G. L. Bertram, would leave almost immediately. He would advise the Government chiefly on problems arising from the proposed trans-Pacific and trans-Tasman air services and commercial aviation within the Dominion, but another official, as yet unnamed, would visit the Dominion to advise the Government on air defences. “In all probability the two experts from Britain will be in New Zealand together," Mr Savage said, “although Mr Bertram will probably arrive before his colleague. I understand that Mr Bertram will leave England by the Imperial Airways Service to-morrow, and he should be in the Dominion within three weeks. The second official from the British Air Ministry will follow him, but it is not yet definite when he will arrive. However, the prospects are that the services of both men will be available at the same time so that the Government will be able to gain expert advice in a coordinated fashion on all aspects of civil and military aviation." The Prime Minister said both officials were being sent to New Zealand by the British Government at the request of the Dominion Government. It was realised that future developments in aviation had wide Empire significance. Mr Bertram has held his present post in the British Air Ministry for the last 10 years, and represented the British Government at the conference regarding Empire air services held in Australia two years ago. At that conference he made the acquaintance of the Hon. A. Hamilton, then Postmaster-General in the New Zealand Government and Mr G. McNamara, Director-General of the Post and Telegraph Department. Mr Bertram was a passenger in the machine which inaugurated the Imperial Airways London-Capetown service in January, 1932, and he flew from London to Brisbane and back in January, 1935. He is generally regarded as being one of the best informed men on civil aviation in Great Britain. Mr Bertram will travel as far as Brisbane by air and will arrive in New Zealand on September 23.