MAPPING A NORTHERN LAND: OBTAINING THE HIGH ALTITUDE PHOTOGRAPHY REQUIRED FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE MAPPING OF CANADA BY THE USE OF WARTIME AIRCRAFT (1951-1963)

摘要

In 1947, when the Federal Government set the goal of completing the 4 Mile (1:250 000) mapping within 20 years, the timing was such that the need for much smaller scale photography than had been used hitherto for mapping, coincided with the availability of high altitude wartime aircraft and a pool of wartime pilots prepared to fly them. Aerial survey companies rose to the challenge and embarked on what became a 12-year Federal aerial photography program. This article covers the companies, aircraft, cameras, and hurdles that had to be overcome to provide mapping photography from 30000-35 000 ft. in un-pressurized aircraft over an immense area that was both remote and poorly mapped at the time.