1927 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 147 



replacing the obsolescent types of aircraft with modern commercial design. 

 Fortunately the development of aeronautics during the last four or five years 

 enables efificient aircraft to be produced at a very much lower first and operating 

 cost, and so the signs of to-day are hopeful. The principle obstacle to the 

 extension of forest fire protection by aircraft is the high cost of flying. How- 

 ever, it is generally known that the higher cost of forest fire protection by air is 

 amply justified when it is considered that in many of the districts of the province 

 covered to-day by aircraft, the maintenance of a highly organized ground 

 service would not be possible, and the alternative to protection by air is an 

 imperfect system of extensive and lengthy canoe patrols. 



Though much remains to be done, much progress has been made. Prospects 

 are excellent for healthy growth of commercial flying and extension into the 

 many new fields of government enterprise in the unsettled and remoter areas in 

 speeding up the development of the unlimited possibilities of our natural re- 

 sources, "Proving our pay load in Ontario's north." 



This report deals with the progress of operating and reconditioning pro- 

 grammes of the Ontario Government Air Service for the year 1926. Worthy of 

 mention is the fact that Air Regulations 1920, which cover in detail the air 

 law of Canada and provide a complete set of rules directly under the admini- 

 stration and direction of the Minister of National Defence, Ottawa, have at all 

 times been adhered to. These regulations provide, in brief, for the registration, 

 certification for airworthiness and marking of aircraft; the licensing of air har- 

 bours; the licensing of personnel; both ground and flying; the use of lights for 

 night flying; signals for communication between the ground and aircraft in 

 flight; the rules of the air necessary for the avoidance of collisions, and for traffic, 

 both on the ground and in the air, in the vicinity of air harbours; rules for the 

 prevention of flying, dangerous either to the occupants of aircraft or to third 

 parties; international flying, including the entry and export of goods by air 

 and the emigration and immigration of persons by air; and general provisions 

 in regard to use of wireless, carriage of mail by air, and other phases of operation. 



Organization: 



The organization of the Provincial Air Service is designed to meet the 

 requirements of the two outstanding phases of the year's work — flying operations 

 and reconditioning. 



1. Flying Operations. — For this, the most important phase of the year's 

 work, the organization of the Service was altered in a few respects from that of 

 former years, in order to allow more flexible control within the organization and 

 to render better service to the fire protection forces. The former object was 

 attained by the assumption by the Director of the duties formerly delegated 

 to a General Superintendent, and by the establishment of a new Central Operat- 

 ing District, under the administration of a station superintendent at Orient Bay, 

 in^ addition to the eastern and western districts of former years. The latter 

 object was attained by the establishment of new bases at Bisco, Longlac and 

 Pine Ridge. Bisco Station (covering parts of Sudbury and Como patrols) 

 was established to place a machine subject to the direct requisition of the sup- 

 pression forces of the northern part of the Mississagi Reserve. 



Unfortunately it was found that the advantages arising from operation of 

 Bisco Station were more than offset by the disadvantages under which such 

 operations had to be carried out. The peculiar atmospheric conditions in this 

 vicinity, together with the floating logs and mill debris, render taking-off and 

 landing somewhat more hazardous than is desirable. Further, charts showing 



