AUCKLAND AS AIRPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 220, 17 September 1930, Page 3

AUCKLAND AS AIRPORT.

AERODROME NEEDED, til WHO SHOULD PROVIDE IT 7 ; SEARCH FOR SUITABLE SITE^γ

There is' no doubt that Auckland will have to provide an aerodrome, if it wants to keep up to date. The aieed is.very well summed up in the following extract from a report issued by the* United States Government in an aeronautical bulletin:—"With the increase of air traffic, cities without airports are finding themselves in~ a similar position to coastal towns without well-equipped sheltered harbours. ■■Towns •with good Jt landing grounds will attract air traffic, 5. The question is, whether the provision of this facility is the duty of the local authority or .the Government. In the bulletin referred to above, it is stated tliat the establishment of an aerodrome or airport should be a municipal enterprise, just as docks for ships, and highways for vehicular transport, are provided by the local authority. In Other Countries. Holland is the only European country ffliat. has municipal aerodromes, but on tihe other hand they all have.State aerodromes, Franco possessing 17, Belgium S, Holland 2, Denmark 3, and Switzerland 5. France has 24 State-owned lauding grounds, Belgium 3, Holland 11, Denmark 1, and Switzerland 11. There are. ; seven State-owned seaplane stations in France, and three in both Holland and Denmark. The idea of municipal-owned aerodromes is. popular in the United States, which, has no less than 458, in addition to .491 commercial aerodromes, and a number of other facilities ,for the use of aircraft. Canada has i 7 municipal aerodromes and four seaplane stations, in addition to others owned inercially and by the State.' In Australia,, Queensland (has two municipal, aerodronies. In New Zealand, Wellington has its municipal airport' of 28J acres '■ jat Lyall Bay. Christchurch City Council intends leasing land to the Aero Cliib when the latter is ready to start an aerodrome:'

Point England, Site ... ", A proposed site in Auckland that has attracted much attention, Wing to its suitability is that at Point England, in the Tamaki. River. Reporting *6n it for the City Council, the city engineer stated: "This site is situated at the eastern end of Point England Road, Tamaki, distant eight miles from the General Post Office, via the Waterfront Road, of nine miles .via Remuera: Road,' and only half-mile, on a level .road from the new Glen Innes railway station.: The area which it is" pfoptfs'ed to deal with, at present is .118 acres,, comprising 51 acres of farm land, six acres of recreation reserve, .45 acres -of building, lots, and 16 acres of roads, j, This- area will permit of a clear fun in the line of prevailing wind of at least 1000 yards, with runs of 700 and 900 yards in other directions.. An: additional area (56 acres of farm land to the f.quth) should be acquired for future extension;' .This will enable a run of 1300 yards to be obtained. . The land is bounded^n ;: |he the, River, and no: difficulty would be experienced in buildiSg the. necessary slipways, so; as to ..enable seaplanes to operate from here. , > The; land is some 20ft above sea level, and has a general slope thereto, and" I am of 4 the opinion that ! after ploughing, grading and suitable ! grassing, \ if careful attention is given to maintenance and thorough, rolling; and the installation- of. any necessary field tiles, that the surface would be suitable for all classes of aircraft." ■•

Otahuhii-and Mangere. The committee also inspected two sites in Mangere, both of which were reported to be able to provide all the l facilities necessary for the establishment of a first-' elass commercial airport. ~ . Reporting on the suggestion of the. Otahuhu Borough Council that the Trotting Club's course of 88 acres would be suitable, the city engineer stated:. "In \all proposed sites /the adjacent topographical and artificial features must be considered'and in this case the railwayworkshops adjoin the northern boundary and in addition to the buildings there v are light and water towers 90ft high, and the possibility-of further structures here must be considered. The ground itself is suitable, but would give only a 500-yard run, unless the land to the west we're added and the filling carried out." •'..'. In the case of the Mangere sites there would be a certain amount of filling to be done, a necessity that dossnot arise with the Point England site. At one of the Mangere sites the city engineer estimated that it would be necessary to do filling at a cost of £5300, and in the case of the second site the cost would be £3500. The Auckland City: Council has gone fully into the matter, of sites, but the matter has not.been advanced very much, and airmen are-pressing- that something should be done. Local bodies in Auckland met some time ago and discussed the question without arriving at a definite conclusion, and a further meeting will be held' this evening to see if the matter can be advanced.