FIRST FLIGHT AT 93.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 282, 28 November 1929, Page 14

FIRST FLIGHT AT 93.

NELSON PIONEER'S VENTURE. " LOVELIEST SENSATION." With a long, white, wispy beard halfway down to his waist, and wearing a crewel-worked smoking cap of the Victorian era, a very old man tottered across from the entrance to the airport at Rongotai to the landing-ground on Saturday morning (says the "Dominion"). The patriarch wae Mr. Henry Bate, of Nelson, 93 years of age, who had been a resident of New Zealand for

the last 72 years, the last three of which he has spent with one of lis married daughters at Napier.

Some members of Mr. Bate's family who were visiting Wellington had been up for a flight on Friday, and when talking over the delights of the venture in the air, the conversation turned on the possibility of getting father to take a trip. At first the idea was scouted as' rather preposterous, but father became very interested, and made a bet that he would go up the next day. He won his bet. As soon as the party arrived on the ground, Mr. Bate made for the waiting Avro, and, helped by willing hands, was at length secured in the passenger cockpit forward. He was in the highest spirits, and showed it first by exhibiting to his laughing audience a small flask of whisky, which he flourished to all the world before he tucked it away in his pocket. Then he pulled out his handkerchief and waved it to his family as the 'plane taxied across the field. It was a beautiful take-off, with Pilot Bolt at the controls, and in a moment or two the 'plane was soaring over the Evans Bay hills.

There was more than one gasp of relief as the 'plane taxied back to the shed, and the flutter of a white handkerchief told the family that all was well with father. Indeed he was more than well. There was a 6light spot of pink on his cheeks, and taking a nip from his flask, he said that he had enjoyed the experience immensely. Ae he was bein<r

assisted out of the cockpit he said: "There's only one thing wanting with the 'plane—it should have a door in the bottom, so that you could drop out instead of all this."

"Well, what was it like?" asked a reporter.

"Lovely," said Mr. Bate. "One of the loveliest ' sensations imaginable! The only thing about it was that it was too short. I wanted to stay up longer."