AIR SERVICES IN AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19241, 1 December 1930, Page 7

AIR SERVICES IN AUSTRALIA.

AERO CLUB MOVEMENT MAKES GREAT PROGRESS That commercial and private flying has made great forward strides in Australia is the opinion of Captain F. W. Haig, an ex-officer of the Australia Air Force, who is accompanying Mr Oscar Garden on the latter’s aerial tour of New Zealand. Attached to the Australian flying squadron in Palestine, Captain Ilaig was stationed next to the squad in charge of Wing-Commander GrantDalton, now Director of Air Services in New Zealand. Returning to Australia, the captain accepted the position of chief pilot to the Queensland and Northern Territorial Air Service, which was subsidised by the Government. The route was from Camooweal to Cloncurry, Longreach, Charlevillc and Brisbane. His next position was that of chief instructor for the Aero Club of South Australia. Captain Haig states that the aero club movement is making progress in Australia. The eighteen clubs fly 1200 hours a month in instruction work. The total mileage flown by services subsidised by the Government is 5500, which is one-fifth of the total mileage covered by railway lines in the Commonwealth. These services flew 11,000 miles a week, or nearly equal to the distance between England and Australia. Last year these airways totalled 550,000 miles. Services not subsidised travelled over routes totalling 2500 miles, and flew an average weekly mileage of 19,000. The annual mileage was 1,265,000 The mileage flown by aircraft in Australia was 30,660 weekly, while the total distance flown in twelve months by subsidised and unsubsidised services was 1,500,000 miles. Night flying equipment consisted of rotating beacons, and flood-lights had been installed at the aerodromes on the Perth-Adelaide route.