The efficiency and safe operation of commercial airways depend very materially upon the condition of ground equipment. Every airline must be furnished with spacious landing-felds, perfectly air-worthy planes, adequate machine-shops, radio and meteorological stations, and a sufficient number of emergency landing-fields, hangars, reserve motors, etc. The absolute competency of the airways operated by the China National Aviation Corporation, as well as by its sister-company, the Eurasia Aviation Corporation, is assured by the rigid supervision exercised by the Ministry. Not only is a standard minrrnum of equipment required of every new airline before it is granted the necessary licence to function, but in order to ensure the maintenance of efficiency and reliability during operations, continuous improvement and replenishment of equipment is also required.

One of the most vital problems now facing the C.N.A.C. and the development of commercial aviation in this country is the urgent need of adequate modern air-ports in all the important cities served by commercial air lines. It is unfortunate that those cities whose duty it is to supply and maintain airports, just as they maintain harbour and river facilities, have not kept up with the march of time and current requirements. The sole exception is the excellent Municipal air-port at Lunghwa (Shanghai). There is no machine made, or probably ever will be made, which cannot land at Lunghwa with perfect case and safety, and similar facilities should 6 available in all im- Ponant cities throughout the country. Every dty in China whkh is served by any of the three commercial aviation companies, the C. N. A. C., Eurasia and South-West, should have airports not less than 1 ,ooo metres square, free of obstructions, well-Irained, and having hard-surfaced runways and night-landing facilities. The importance of better air-fields cannot possibly be over-emphasized. Commercial aviation in China has reached the limits of its growth and efficiency with its present air fields. Further development will be retarded, in fact is already being retarded, until the air-fields are improved to the degree required for more up-to-date flying. Then the pace of progress of past years will be kept up. It is encouraging to note that many cities are beginning to realize the vital importance of this problem and appreciate that without bigger improvements in landing-fields and other ground facilities, it is imporsible for any air service to provide the public with all the advantages which are associated with this rapid method of transportation.

At the present time the CN.A.C. owns and operates 26 ground radio-stanons over its system. On account of the lack of a national system of weather reports, each station serves also as a meteorological unit, being equipped with barometrical and other instruments for the forecasting and dissemination of weather reports to the different air lines, thus ensuring safety against inclement weather conditions. Each station also reports the dines of arrival and departure of planes, with other particulars such as the number of passengers, amount of mail and freight carried, etc., all of which details are recorded at the Shanghai head office. The Douglas Dolphins on the Shanghai-Canton line, the Douglas Transports of the Shanghai-Peiping line and Shanghai- Chengtu Express, and the Ford on the Chungking-Kweiyang servke are all equipped with two-way radio for constant communication with the ground. It is planned soon to have all planes similarly equipped. Ft.rthermore, two direction-finders have been installed for use on the Shanghai-Canton line, to enable pilots to maintain their proper course while flying blind through or above clouds or fog.

During the last two years three additional emergency landint fields have been constructed at various points along the C.N.A.C routes, viz., one at Yangkiakac, between Tsingtao and Peiping; a second at Nantung, between Shanghai and Haichow; and a third at Suining, on the Chungking-Chengtu line, - all complete with radio stations for two-way signalling.