EL—37.

The following is an analysis, according to types, of the aircraft entered in the Dominion register as at 31st March, 1938 :— D.H. 60 .. .. 32 *Lockheed Blectra .. .. 3 D.H. 80a .. .. 4 Miles Hawk .. .. 4 D.H. 82 .. . . 9 Miles Magister .. .. 3 D.H. 83 . . . . 2 Monospar .. . . .. 2 D.H. 84 . . . . 2 *Porterfield .. .. .. 2 D.H. 86 .. . . 3 Spartan . . . . 6 D.H. 87 1 *Taylor Cub 2 D.H. 89 .. .. 4 Vega Gull . . . . 1 D.H. 90 .. .. .. 1 *Waco .. .. .. 3 Avro Avian . . . . 4 Whitney Straight . . 4 504k .. .. 2 Pou-de-Ciel .. .. 3 *Beechcraft C 17l . . . . 1 Miscellaneous . . . . 5 B.A. Swallow . . . . 1 - — Desoutter . . . . . . 1 106 Fleet . . . . . . 1

* Aircraft of American manufacture (11).

Of the above total of 106 aircraft, 91 are single-engined machines, 12 are twin-engined, and three are fitted with four engines. The number of aircraft possessing current certificates of airworthiness advanced from 63 last year to 74 at the end of March this year, an increase of 17 per cent. The remaining 32 aircraft included in the total of 106 aircraft recorded as registered in this country but not certified as airworthy at the close of the period comprised aircraft undergoing overhaul prior to the renewal of their certificates of airworthiness and aircraft temporarily out of commissionfor various reasons, in addition to three machines of the " Flying Flea " type, which are permitted to fly without a certificate of airworthiness under certain conditions as experimental aircraft. During the period under review 23 United Kingdom and one Canadian certificate of airworthiness were validated for flying in New Zealand. Seven Dominion certificates were issued, 46 were renewed, and 9 were cancelled as the result of the aircraft in respect of which they were current having been removed from the register. Aeradio Services. During the year the programme of development of aeradio services approved by the Government has been vigorously pursued. At the beginning of the year the radio services available to commercial aviation were limited to improvised stations provided at short notice to facilitate the operation of the Palmerston North - Dunedin and the Cook Strait air services. The first objective was to replace these stations with modern radio installations located at the aerodromes and capable of providing either a telegraphic or telephonic service of a reasonable power to meet the requirements of air liners in flight over all existing air lines. Accordingly arrangements were made to install 250-watt radio stations at the aerodromes at Milson (Palmerston North), Wellington, and Taieri (Dunedin). Lower-powered stations of 100 watt output were installed at Nelson and Hokitika, these installations being of a provisional nature to carry over until such time as the 250-watt equipment is available. In the case of the Blenheim station, similar temporary arrangements were made, and a low-power telephone transmitter was installed at the Omaka Aerodrome in a temporary building to facilitate the efficient conduct of the service, while arrangements were being made for the engineering of the final higher-powered installation. With the extension of air services to Auckland via New Plymouth, action was taken to install suitable stations at the Mangere Aerodrome, Auckland, and at the Bell Block Aerodrome, New Plymouth. In the former case a 250-watt transmitter has been installed, while in the latter a 100-watt installation was considered to meet all requirements. Both of these stations are located in special buildings erected for the purpose at the aerodromes, and, in so far as the transmitters are concerned, they constitute units of the final establishment. The year thus closed with stations along the main routes provided with comparatively satisfactory transmitting equipment, the exception being Christchurch, where, owing to the fact that the Wigram Aerodrome is being used only temporarily for civil aviation, it was decided to continue the use of the existing provisional service from the Post and Telegraph Department's station in the city until the permanent station at Harewood could be brought into operation. These arrangements are in an advanced stage, and during this financial year it is expected that the Harewood Station will be opened, thus completing the chain of modern radio telephone transmitting stations available at aerodromes used by the commercial air lines. Certain of the intermediate aerodromes have received consideration, and low-power transmitters of limited range have been installed at such points as Hawera and Timaru. Action has already been taken to provide such a transmitter at Greymouth, where proximity to the Hokitika terminal makes a higher-powered station unwarranted. The receiving facilities at the various stations are at present conducted from the transmitting buildings, but it is intended to provide separate receiving buildings at each aerodrome so located as to meet the requirements for the final service, which it is hoped to introduce during the latter portion of this financial year.

10