DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1933 117 



structed and fitted to the machine. It was a decided asset in protecting the 

 pilot from the freezing blast of the slipstream during flights on the cold Winter 

 days. 



8. Repairs 



(a) Rebuilding Moth Aircraft: 



An important part of the maintenance work for the past season consisted 

 in the complete manufacture of 16 sets of Moth wings consisting of four panels 

 each. In addition, two sets of Moth wings were completely rebuilt. During 

 the Summer it was necessary to rebuild a Moth aircraft that had been badly 

 damaged due to a float spreader bar coming adrift after landing. 



Two Moths also received repairs of minor damages caused by failure of 

 the flotation gear. As the failures occurred during the height of the operating 

 season, it was vastly important that the machines concerned should not remain 

 unserviceable any longer than possible. On such occasions all the resources 

 of the maintenance base at Sault Ste. Marie are mobilized, and the machines 

 are made serviceable again in a matter of hours rather than days. 



(b) Complete Overhaul of Hamilton All-metal Aircraft: 



At the end of the 1933 operating season, both Hamilton aircraft were 

 flown to Sault Ste. Marie for complete overhaul. This work was completed 

 in time for both machines to be re-launched and flown back to their respective 

 bases in the Western District before the inland lakes had become frozen over. 



(c) Maintenance Work in the Field: 



While on operations the engines of the fleet received 30 top-overhauls at 

 their respective stations. There were also 28 repair jobs done in the field 

 which were of a nature to keep the machine unserviceable for an hour or more 

 on each occasion. 



(d) Special Manufacturing Work: 



Certain new work was done during the Summer season in the wood- 

 working shops at Sault Ste. Marie. This work consisted in the building of 

 fifty sectional canoes for the Forestry Department, and three dinghy type boat 

 tenders for the use of the Air Service. 



9. Features from the Statistical Records 



(a) Machine Days: 



The average machine days used of the total available was increased from 

 53% in 1932 to 58% in 1933. This increase in usage is even better realized 

 when it is known that in 1932 more than 20% more machine days were available. 

 This indicates that in 1933 the Forestry Department has made an even more 

 general use of the Air Service than has been done in the past. A further study 

 of the two major types of flying hours reveals that this increased usage was 

 made up mostly of detection flying. The percentage of detection flying com- 

 pared to the total flying for the years 1932 and 1933 respectively is 37%and40%. 



(b) District Comparisons: 



Of the total flying hours, namely 8722.40 for 1933, some 38% were flown 

 in the Eastern District, and 62% in the Western District. This division is a 



