1928 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 109 



(12) Special Investigations 



In co-operation with the Dominion Meteorological Service investigations 

 were continued in connection with the relation of different weather factors to 

 fire hazard. Special forecasts were issued during hazardous weather and proved 

 exceptionally useful. 



Some experiments were carried out in connection with landscape maps for 

 use in lookout towers and while it is yet too early to make definite predictions 

 in this connection the landscape map appears to have great possibilities. 



II. — Report of the Director of the Air Service 



Introduction. 



The operating season of 1927 has been a successful, eventful period for the 

 Provincial Air Service of the Ontario Government, and has again emphasized 

 the value of aircraft for protection and conservation of Ontario's forest wealth. 

 The success is largely due to those of the Ontario Government who showed 

 their faith by the co-operation and fullest support of the development of aircraft 

 for the work they are intended. One of the most important features of the 

 season was the advent of the Moth seaplanes as an addition to the existing 

 equipment for fire detection duties. 



The seaplanes are the first light aeroplanes on floats, and the fact that 

 thay were first supplied to and put to practical use by the Provincial Air Service 

 marks the year of 1927 an epoch not only in the history of the Service and 

 Canada, but of the whole world. 



Credit for the project is due to the Provincial Air Service, who maintained 

 that with a few modifications the original land plane could be converted into a 

 seaplane. 



The success of the Moth as a seaplane has vindicated the venture, much 

 to the satisfaction of the manufacturers, who had misgivings over the adapt- 

 ability of their obvious land machines. 



In the previous Annual Report, mention was made of the fact that the 

 Service was faced with the problem of replacing the obsolescent type of aircraft 

 with modern commercial design and economy in the first cost of aircraft equip- 

 ment. As the aircraft used in previous years were "written off," the question 

 arose, what moderately priced modern aircraft available could carry out similar 

 work and with equal success to that assigned to the old type. After exhaustive 

 inquiries in America and England the Moth, designed and built by the De 

 Havilland Company, England, was chosen. It was chosen not only because of 

 its low price, which is an important factor to be considered in all commercial 

 flying enterprises, but because its factor of safety is the standard of which 

 dispels any doubt as to its capabilities as a flying machine. 



Doubts were expressed that the frail-looking Moth would stand up to the 

 work of which it was required, but their subsequent performances have justified 

 the expenditure and the expectancies placed in them. 



The choice of the Moth was not made with a view to completely carrying 

 out the work of the H.S. 2 L. insofar as transportation and suppression, but to 

 lower the cost of fire detection, which constitutes a major item in the duties 

 of the aircraft. A short narration of the characteristics of the Moth may be 

 referred to: — ftH 



Cruising speed 75 m.p.h., which allows for much shorter patrols. 



5 L.F 



