DIVISION OF AIR SERVICE 



GENERAL 



Insofar as the Division of Air Service Is concerned, the fiscal year 

 1954-55 was nonnal in every respect. There were no unusually large fires 

 nor was there any enduring period in which a high hazard maintained for any 

 length of time. The number of fires fought was not out of the ordinary nor 

 was the damage arising therefrom. 



During the period we were able to more fully assess the performance of 

 the three Otter aircraft acquired during the preceding fiscal year. We 

 have found that a limited number of these large aircraft can be used to 

 advantage and I refer particularly to the long trips made from Sioxix Look- 

 out to the Hudson »s Bay coast on which it is frequently necessary to carry 

 quite heavy loads of staff and equipment. This ship serves this particular 

 purpose very well and on many occasions has avoided the necessity of flying 

 two smaller aeroplanes to accomplish the same purpose. The aircraft has 

 been relatively free from engineering modifications and gives every promise 

 of being a very useful piece of equipment. 



Our Beaver fleet continued to give us fine outstanding service and I 

 think I can say that the Department has never used an aeroplane that has 

 been so versatile in its application as this particular type. 



Two helicopters were again leased during the period under review and 

 again they performed very useful service. We find that they are especially 

 well-suited to certain phases of our operations and each year we find some 

 new use with it. I am personally of the opinion that there is still a lot 

 to be done in the development of the helicopter and am not prepared to 

 recommend that the Department go into their purchase at present because of 

 the uncertainty of future development and complications of present operating 

 procedures and difficulties associated therewith. 



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