H.—37.

SECTION VT. —AIRCRAFT INSPECTION, GROUND PERSONNEL, AND ACCIDENTS. Aeronautical Inspection. In Juno, 1938, Mr. R. C. Kcan, Chief Inspector of Aircraft, proceeded to England on exchange with Mr. E. F. Carpenter, of the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate of the British Air Ministry, for a period of one year. Following his attachment to the Air Ministry, Mr. Kean will visit Canada and the United States to investigate aeronautical engineering practice and development in those countries. During the period Ist April, 1938, to 31st March, 1939, a total of 426 inspection tours coveringaircraft, aero-engines, aircraft-welders, approved firms, and Ground Engineers was carried out by the inspection staff of the Department. Registration op Aircraft. The number of certificates of registration issued during the year was 38, a decrease of 6 on the figures for the previous year. Of the 38 aircraft registered during the year, 25 were registered for the first time and 13 changed ownership and were re-registered. Changes of ownership, dismantling, crashes, &c., resulted in the cancellation of 24 certificates during the year, leaving a total of .107 aircraft registered on 31st March, 1939, as compared with 106 on 31st March, 1938. The following is an analysis; according to types, of the aircraft entered in the Dominion register as at 31st March, 1939 :— D.H. 60 25 Miles Hawk 4 D.H. 80a .. .. 4 Miles Magister .. .. 2 D.H. 82 .. .. 18 Monospar S.T. 25 .. .. 2 D.H. 83 .. .. 3 * Porterfield .. .. .. 1 D.H. 84 .. .. ..2 *Rearwin .. .. .. 2 D.H. 86 .. .. 3 Spartan .. .. .. 2 D.H. 89 .. .. 5 Vega Gull .. .. .. 1 D.H. 90 .. .. .. 2 Percival Gull .. .. 1 Avro Avian .. .. 2 * Waco .. .. .. 3 * Beechcraft C 17l .. .. 1 Whitney Straight .. .. 4 B.A. Swallow .. .. 2 Wicko .. .. .. 1 * Cub .. .. 3 Pou-de-ciel .. .. .. 3 Desoutter .. .. 1 Miscellaneous .. .. 5 Fleet .. .. .. 1 * Lockheed Electra . t .. 4 107 * Aircraft of American manufacture, 14. Of the above total of 107 aircraft, 89 are single-engined machines, 15 are twin-engined, and 3 are fitted with four engines. The number of aircraft possessing current certificates of airworthiness advanced from 74 last year to 78 at the end of March this year. The remaining 29 aircraft included in the total of 107 aircraft recorded as registered 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 action for various reasons, in addition to three machines of the " Flying Flea " type, which are permitted to fly under certain conditions as experimental aircraft. During the current year 17 United Kingdom certificates of airworthiness were validated for flying in New Zealand. Seven Dominion certificates were issued, 62 were renewed, and 9 were cancelled as a result of the aircraft being removed from the register. Ground Engineers. The number of new Ground Engineers' licences issued during the year was seventeen, and forty extensions to existing licences were granted. The total number of Ground Engineers' licences valid within the Dominion as at the 31st March, 1939, was seventy-six. The following is a total analysis of the Ground Engineers' Examinations held during the year: — Number of examinations held .. .. .. .. .. 20 Number of applicants examined . . .. .. .. .. 52 Successful applicants .. .. .. .. . . .. 44 Number of failures .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 Approved Firms. The need for establishing additional local sources of supply of approved aircraft parts and materials led to the complete reorganization of the procedure covering approved firms. The total number of categories approved is thirty-nine, an increase of thirty over the previous year. The following is an analysis of approved firms : — Aircraft materials and/or parts (Category A (i)) .. .. 19 Firms. Accredited agents (Category A (ii) ) .. .. .. 5 Firms. Repairs and overhauls (Category B) .. .. .. 6 Firms. A.LB. Test-house. Increasing demands for immediate and local sources of supply of aircraft material have resulted in a considerably greater volume of work being passed through the test-house. The testing and preparation of reports dealing with ferrous and non-ferrous metals, timbers, fabric, glues, &c., which were of a doubtful standard, as well as the investigation of faults and anomalies as reported by the Aircraft Inspectors, were dealt with,

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