DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1930 127 



"Inspection" which includes certain Service flights now relates exclusively to 

 routine flights made by officials of the Forestry Branch. 



The combined total of 1,145.35 hours, comprising Administration, 194.15 

 and Inspection, 951.20, is considerably less than last year. It does not, however, 

 indicate that aircraft were not used so much for these duties. In fact, they were 

 used extensively this year and the decrease in hours can be largely attributed to 

 the speed in which the fast machines completed the flights. 



It would be well to mention also that officials very frequently carried out 

 these duties in conjunction with other flights for which requisitions had already 

 been issued or which had prior claim on the services of the aircraft. 



Sketching. 



The progress of aerial sketching has reached a higher stage of development, 

 not only in the functions of the Government Service, but in the industrial and 

 commercial life of the country. Its uses are not only confined to the classification 

 of forest types and mapping but to plotting the location and extent of fires, water 

 routes, portages and many other features in unmapped or comparatively unknown 

 districts. 



A large percentage of the 47.05 hours is accounted for by the mapping of 

 forest types to enable the District Forester to keep an accurate check on the 

 progress of the fire and the location and movement of the crews. 



Sketching from the air is intricate work, requiring constant attention and 

 experience on the part of the sketcher. Unlike photography it is more or less 

 independent of weather, in fact, every advantage is taken of bad weather because 

 more aircraft are available. 



Photography. 



As in the former season the Vedette was placed at the disposal of the photo- 

 graphic section of the Forestry Branch. The work it accomplished in the 

 187.45 hours devoted to topographical survey compensated for the loss of its 

 services in other directions. Smoky weather conditions which prevailed in 

 some districts and the diurnal changes in weather and temperature hindered the 

 operation to a great extent; but these are factors that have to be contended with 

 in work of this nature. 



Now that photographic survey holds a prominent place in the Service, 

 routine consideration should be paid to the type of machine most suitable for all 

 conditions. Aircraft with performance, a speedy climb — high ceiling — warm 

 and spacious cockpits, are some of our main features to consider. Cold 

 temperatures found about 5,000 feet in the spring and early fall affect the 

 operations of the camera, to say nothing of the operator whose hands are exposed 

 to the icy wind. I regret to advise that these are some of the troubles that our 

 photographic crews experience, performing the duties in connection with the 

 photographic programme as flown in the Vedette aircraft. 



Instruction. 



The hours spent on instruction at the school last winter are reflected in 

 the success of the pilots who graduated from Applicant to Junior Pilots and 

 who were appointed to flying machines during the operating season. 



Six pilots were chosen from among the pupils and they contributed 3,026.35 

 hours, an average of more than 500 hours each with little or no damage to the 



