SOUTHWARD HO!

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 233, 2 October 1929, Page 7

SOUTHWARD HO!

"FOUR 'PLANES LEAVE. «-. TOUR OF NORTH ISLAND* j|jß MACHETES' HOP OFF FKOM..-jHt" ■-■ maxgere; -xWrn'

■ Like seagulls' rising from;-■-&: estuary, four Moth--'planes skimmed- 1 across the Auckland Aero -,Club's grounds' at morning, rose gracefully 1 into the clouds, circled f.or altitude, and set off east on the first stage of a Ivorth Island tpur. , , , , . The pilots and their passengers werei.. Major G. A. C. Cowper and Mr. Spencer Mason, a committee member-of the club; Captain J. Seabrook and ' Mr. W. Marshall, Mayor of Paeroa; Mr. I. C. Horton (with his own machine) and Mr. E. W. Wright, pupil member of the club; and Captain L. Hewett (with his own machine).

■ Punctually at nine o'clock the first machine, flown by Mr. I. C. Horton, took the air, and he was followed by Captain Seabrook, Captain Hewett and Major Cowper. The 'planes circled once round the aerodrome grounds', then,

with Major Cowper's machine, iri the lead, the four zoomed upward and eastward and were lost in a grey cloud. Then they appeared again, just, black specks, and slowly the drone of their 1 .engines faded and. died. Paeroa was the first destination, where they will pick up Mri K. R. Hacket and Mr. Copley, pupil members of the club, who will continue the tour with the 'planes. They will visit Morrinsville, Te Aroha, Cambridge and T.eAwamutu and will land at Ihumatao again at noon on Friday. If the weather is fine the 'machines.

•will leave Ikumatao again on Saturday •> at 9 a.m. and will fly to NewPlymouth, where'they will spend Sunday. Hawera and Wanganui will bo visited on Monday. On Tuesday the aviators will'fly to Wellington from'. Wanganui. Wednesday, October 9, is. , ; the date for departure from arid that night will be spent hi Hastings. - Thursday will be spent m Gisborne, the 'planes returning to Auckland the fol* ■ lowing morning. There was only "a handful of people .'> at the aerodrome this morning to i&ver. well the flyers, whose mission, it is. to t stimulate the flying club movement and . • , advance the 'move for' a chain of aero* dromes throughout the North Island.'"; '*