NEW HOMER BEACON AT OHURA: AERADIO AT TAUMARUNUI

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 April 1949, Page 6

NEW HOMER BEACON AT OHURA: AERADIO AT TAUMARUNUI

WELINGTON, Last Night (PA).— The Minister in Charge of Civil Aviation (Mr. Jones) stated today that it will be recalled that the Court of Inquiry which was set up following the fatal accident to the “Kaka” on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu strongly recommended that another radio beacon should be installed in the centre of the North Island. Plans were already in hand for the erection of such a homer beacon, but there were considerable practical difficulties to be overcome, both technical and operational. It originally had been decided to place the installation at Taumarunui, but it was found impracticable to do this, and, after prolonged technical investigation, a suitable site had been chosen approximately two miles south of the township of Ohura, adjacent to the main Stratford road.

Being such an importer/ beacon the apparatus to be installed was of high power and to obtain the most efficient performance it was being fitted with an 180 ft. prefabricated steel mast To ensure continuity of service a duplicate transmitter would be fitted, together with a petrol electric standby power plant so that should either the transmitter or the mains fail, the reserve equipment would be automatically switched on and brought into service.

Communications to a travelling aircraft in this area are rlso being improved by a small aeradio station which is being erected at Taumarunui. near the reservoir. This station will use radio to communicate with aircraft and will pass information on to the Air Traffic Control organisation by telephone. Local authorities had been most cooperativve and were fully appreciative of the urgency of this installation being completed before the winter conditions set in, with a result that although actual work on the site only started a week or two ago, it was hoped to have both the Ohura and Taumarunui installations completed and fully operational by the end of May.