AIR SERVICES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20898, 30 November 1937, Page 11

AIR SERVICES

METEOROLOGICAL DATA EXPERTS CONFER By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, November fl A meteorological conference of international significance was opened this morning by the Hon. D. G. Sullivan. The inauguration of Pan-American Airways flying boat service between San Francisco and Auckland, and the proposed Trans-Tasman air services to be preceded by a survey flight very soon, have necessitated a complete recasting of meteorological services of the south-west Pacific, and some months, ago Dr. E. Kldson, director of the New Zealand Meteorological Office, was authorised by the Government to invite representatives of the Pacific Weather Bureau and aviation interests to meet at Wellington to discuss new problems and new needs. Delegates represent Britain, America, Australia and Suva.

In extending a welcome, Mr Sullivan spoke of the importance of the discussions in formulating a joint plan for the building of an adequate meteorological service over the Pacific area to meet the widening needs brought about mainly by aviation developments. The inauguration, which was now imminent, of air lines across the Pacific and Tasman Sea, involving flight for many hours out of sight of land and far from reporting stations, had given rise to insistent demands for data far exceeding in scope and detail anything previously contemplated. It was the emergence of these demands which made urgent the necessity of calling a conference of those responsible for meteorological services in the southwest Pacific region. On the success of the deliberations the regularity, comfort, speed and safety of trans-ocean air transport in this region would largely depend. The outstanding feature of the work in which meteorologists were engaged was that it was international in character. In fact the work could not be organised and carried out except by full international co-operation, and meteorology was thus one means by which were brought closer together the men who were doing the job and the peoples of countries. New Zealand was a small country with a small population, but from the beginning of colonial days it had had weather reports and a meteorological service, but probably during the last two years, with the extraordinary development of internal aviation and the coming air connection with Great Britain via Australia, and the contemplated service from America, the development of meteorological services in the Dominion had been more intense than in the whole of the proceeding years. Dr. Marsden, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, recalled his earlier work in the study of meteorology, and said what had been particularly impressed upon him was the need, not merely for collection, codification and dissemination of data, but for research into the data gathered with the object of obtaining increased use and accuracy in the future. Co-operation in the work on investigating meteorological conditions led to an understanding between the observers of the whole region, and to a quicker application of any lessons learned, thus reducing the lag between discovery and application from perhaps years to months. Mr H. Gatty addressed the conference on the proposed Pacific service by Pan-America Airways, and Mr F. .Entwhistle, head of the Overseas Division of the Meteorological Office, London, reviewed the organisation of meteorological services for survey Rights across the Atlantic.