11

H.—l9

undergoing overhaul prior to the renewal of their certificates of airworthiness, aircraft temporarily out of commission for various reasons, in addition to three aircraft of the " Pou-du-Ciel " type, which are permitted to fly without a certificate of airworthiness. The number of new certificates of airworthiness issued during the period under review was two. The -number of Air Ministry certificates validated for flying in New Zealand was eight, and the number of certificates renewed was fprty-four. The remaining nine certificates included in the total of sixty-three shown as current at the end of the year were renewed during the two months immediately preceding the period under review. 9. Aircraft Accidents. For the ten months under review three accidents, involving loss of life, occurred : — (1) On 30th December, 1936, aircraft ZK-ADC crashed into the sea at Big Bay, following a stall whilst the pilot was approaching to land. One of the four passengers was killed, and the remaining passengers and the pilot were severely injured. (2) A " Moth " aircraft, ZK-ACZ, was lost in Cook Strait on the 22nd March, 1937. Both pilot and passenger are presumed to have lost their lives as a result of this accident. (3) At Mosgiel on 25th March, 1937, a student pilot was killed as a result of the aircraft he was flying—ZK-ACl —getting out of control and crashing into the ground. Besides the above fatal accidents, official investigation was made into ten other accidents involving major damage to the aircraft, but, with one exception, little or no injury was suffered by pilots or passengers. There was no case of structural failure of an aircraft whilst in flight, and in all cases the accidents must be attributed to the personal element. No commercial aircraft operating on a regular air route was involved in any accident. 10. Ground Engineers. New ground engineers' licences issued in the ten months ending 31st March, 1937, totalled thirteen, while three Air Ministry licences were validated, making the number of licences current at the end of the year ninety-six, an increase of eleven. This increase would have been greater but for the fact that a certain number of ground engineers allowed their licences to lapse on ceasing to be actively engaged in aviation. Six examinations for ground engineers' licences, or extension of the categories covered by existing licences, were held during the period, and the candidates examined numbered twenty-three. The number of successful candidates was 56-5 per cent. The categories in which these candidates satisfied the examiners totalled seventeen. Six candidates who were already in possession of licences were recommended, after examination, for extension of the scope of their licence, while two extensions were granted without examination upon reports of satisfactory experience gained by the holders of the licences. The system of examination of candidates for ground engineers' licences has been revised, and examinations are now carried out as in Great Britain. 11. Regular Aircraft Services. During the year the following companies were operating under licences issued by the Transport Department for the routes indicated : — Company. Route. Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd. . . (a) Hokitika, Haast, Okuru. (b) Inchbonnie, Hokitika, Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. East Coast Airways, Ltd. . . Napier-Gisborne. Cook Strait Airways, Ltd. .. (a) Nelson, Blenheim, Wellington. (b) Nelson, Greymouth, Hokitika. Union Airways of N.Z., Ltd. .. Palmerston North-Dunedin, via Blenheim and Christchurch. On these services eleven aircraft with a total passenger-capacity of seventy-three were available over a daily route distance of approximately three thousand miles. Statistics relating to Commercial services for the period ended 31st March, 1937, are as follows : —

(a) Regular Air Service Routes.

Airline- Number A ™raft. Company. Koute. miles of — Frequency ol Service. Pilots, Types. Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd. (a) Hokitika-Haast-Okuru .. 145 f (a) Once weekly in each I 9 9 n XI do) direction. (6) Lichbonnie - Hokitika - Fox 210 f ' ' i (&) Twice weekly in and Franz Josef Glaciers J each direction. East Coast Airways .. Napier-Gisborne .. .. 96 2 2 D.H. 84 Twice daily in each direction Cook Strait Airways, *(a) Nelson-Blenheim-Welling- 168 f A total of 10 trips daily. Ltd. ton I C 4 t) H on j (b) Nelson-Greymouth-Hokitika 200 j J Thrice weekly in each J [_ direction. Union Airways of N.Z., Palmerston North - Dunedin, via 495 10 3 D.H. 86 Once daily in each Ltd. Blenheim and Christchurch direction. * All trips do not include each point mentioned.