DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1929 119 



The Disposition of Aircraft in the Eastern District: 



Sault Ste Marie Moth P.C. 



Sudbury Moths O.W. & O.X. 



Biscotasing .*. . . Moth A.D. 



Rem= Lake Moths P.H. & O.Z. 



Oba Lake Moth O.U. 



H.S.2. L. O.A. 



Longlac Moth A.A. 



H.S.2. L. O.L 

 Reconditioning. 



The reconditioning period, the period from November 1928 to May 1st, 

 1929, was administered as of the previous season. All work in connection with 

 the reconditioning or overhaul of aircraft and aircraft engines was carried out 

 at the Provincial Air Service plant at Sault Ste. Marie, under the very strict 

 supervision of the Plant Superintendent, who is directly responsible to the 

 Director. During the flying period all engines requiring complete overhaul were 

 shipped to Sault Ste. Marie, reconditioned there and returned to the operating 

 base. 



The twelve H.S.2. L aircraft which flew to Sault Ste. Marie at the conclusion 

 of the 1928 flying programme required a very rigid inspection. These aircraft 

 are now five years old and each season these particular craft are subject to very 

 severe wear and tear operating in the District of Patricia where the shorelines 

 are rocky and rugged. Considerable replacements were necessary to these boat 

 hulls. 



A new department at the plant at Sault Ste. Marie was organized to recondi- 

 tion and maintain pontoons, the water gear of the moth aircraft of the detec- 

 tion fleet. Certain modifications to these pontoons have been carried out 

 which makes the pontoon a better float for our work. 



During the reconditioning period portable sectional canoes were manu- 

 factured in the aircraft section of the plant at Sault Ste. Marie. These canoes 

 were required in connection with suppression work. The canoes can be nested 

 and carried by the transport aircraft of our Service. 



Detection. 



Fire detection is entirely controlled by the District Foresters. During the 

 flying period, 1928-29, 3,070.30 hours flying were carried out strictly under the 

 requisition of the District Foresters. This is nearly double the time required 

 during the previous year. The detection unit of the Service, the moth aircraft, 

 carried out the greater portion of this work. 



Suppression. 



Aircraft continue to be an important supplement to the regular Forestry 

 Branch organization as a means of transportation, especially in the remote 

 areas of the Province. 4,592.55 hours were devoted to suppression flying during 

 this operating period. 



Sketching. 



The hours devoted to flying in connection with the sketching or classification 

 of forest types were considerably less than in previous years, due to the fact that 

 other duties, suppression and detection, had prior claim to the services of air- 

 craft. During the 297.05 hours flown in the sketching programme 2,360 square 



