124 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



With these features in view, light aircraft were purchased for patrol 

 duty. These aircraft can be kept constantly in the air at a comparatively 

 small cost. In this way information is procured for the officers of the Forestry 

 Department with sufficient detail and promptitude for them to use it to the 

 best advantage. 



Purchase of transport equipment on the other hand is controlled by the 

 necessity for landing what may be termed a suppression unit near the fire on 

 the initial trip, so that such unit may be set to work immediately in getting the 

 fire under control. 



To a certain extent, the nature of the fires which commonly occur in any 

 given district, and the intensity of the detection patrol maintained therein, 

 governs the size of transport aircraft which can be used to the best advantage. 

 For example, where a district maintains a fairly constant detection patrol, 

 providing the local fire hazard is not abnormal, no incipient fire will grow to 

 major proportions before it is discovered and action begun toward suppressing 

 it. In the well settled districts, small fires are breaking out constantly and are 

 detected quickly. Under such circumstances, a medium transport machine 

 might well be the more efficient unit since it could be pressed into patrol duty 

 whenever necessary at no great added cost. 



From the foregoing, it may be argued that specialization and proper 

 adaptation of the flying equipment to the work it has to do is a major step 

 toward economical operation in terms of first cost, as well as being efficient 

 in the final duty of aiding in the preservation of forest wealth. 



4. Personnel: 



It is a pleasure to be able to report the high degree of efficiency displayed 

 by the personnel in every phase of the air Service Operations. The individual 

 skill and devotion to duty on the part of every member of the Service plays a 

 vastly important part in the degree of success that rewards our effort to be an 

 indispensable aid to the Forestry Department in the safe-guarding of the forest. 



In connection with the humanitarian phase of the Provincial Air Service 

 operations, it is noted that several Mercy Flights were performed again last 

 year as in previous years. Although is it not possible to recount the 

 details of each flight, it must not be forgotten that the very circumstances 

 that make such flights necessary also provide plenty of problems for the pilot 

 concerned. All such flights invariably take place under conditions of high 

 pressure, and often as not, at a time when flying conditions are particularly 

 difficult. The table following shows the machines and pilots that were called 

 upon to perform Mercy Flights during the past year. 



