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to us to be the most suitable area. An aerodrome on this site we consider could be provided with four safe directions for take-off and landing. This could be achieved by siting two runways crossing at an oblique angle with unobstructed approach paths up and down the valley for five miles at least in any of the four directions. The mountains on the west side of the valley and the hills on the east side are undesirable features, but they are five miles apart, which gives some latitude of manoeuvre for aircraft of the types which will serve Dunedin, and which provides scope for the development of safe operational procedures. The locality is easily accessible from Dunedin by the main south road, and the disadvantage of road distance will be more thar> offset by the improvement in regularity and safety of scheduled services. We therefore recommend that an investigation of sites in this locality be carried out at an early date, and that Taieri aerodrome should be closed for air transport services as soon as a new aerodrome can be prepared. Otago Harbour 294. We examined the Otago Harbour Board's proposal for the development of an international flying-boat base in Otago Harbour. We found that the harbour is too restricted by hills surrounding it on all sides to afford adequate air approaches and air manoeuvring space. The water area is adequate only in one or two directions, and there is doubt whether the depth of water in these is adequate. Most of the area outside the shipping channel is shoal, and the shipping channel is tortuous and obstructed. The harbour is unsuitable for regular operation by large flying-boats. 295. We see no reason why small seaplanes should not be operated in Otago Harbour if it were found desirable to connect Dunedin with the lakes and other water areas where landing grounds do not exist. Central Otago 296. Each of the more important townships in this area is anxious to be included in the National Airways Corporation routes, and considerable rivalry exists as to which possesses the most suitable aerodrome or site. In the course of our tour we visited Queenstown, Cromwell, Alexandra, and Wanaka, and inspected the aerodromes and proposed new sites at each place. We think that the proposed new site at Alexandra, on what is known as the " high terrace," is the most suitable for the operation of National Airways Corporation scheduled air services. Being on the fringe of the mountain area and in a wide valley, it will afford the greatest safety and regularity factors. If this aerodrome site is developed as proposed and served by the National Airways Corporation, arrangements could be made for passengers from such towns as Cromwell, Wanaka, Queenstown, and Roxburgh to be connected with the service

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