GLIDING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 152, 28 June 1940, Page 4

GLIDING.

PROBLEMS OF TRAINING,

NO GROUNDS AVAILABLE,

I noticed in your columns a letter containing reference to the value of gliding as a means of training: our youth for aviation, writes Mr. F. C. Macdonald, president of the Auckland Gliding Club. His remarks concerning the methods used by the Germans arc quite correct, as we all know that from their gliding clubs they recruited the personnel of ' their national Air Force. ' Igo further and say that the Ameri- ■ cans have long known the value of glfcl- • ing, and all their students at the Pcn- , sacola Naval Air Training School are required to take an initial course on ' motorless 'planes before going into the ■ "big stuff." The authorities have found • that glider pilots take fewer hours, and fewer hours mean quicker output of 1 pilots and effect a tremendous saving in 1 tuition costs. Your correspondent asks, "Where are 1 our gliding clubs?" and I hasten to ■ answer. They are right here in New • Zealand. There is on-v in Auckland, formed in 1928, and though stifled [ through official apathy, has done much fine work. In fact the main reason that it is not active to-day is that a large number of its best trainees have naturally enough left it to join the Royal | Air Force and arc now doing wonderful service, ' both in New Zealand and at the front. The second reason is that, though supported by the relatively few enthusiasts over a ]>erio<l of years, the Auckland Gliding Club has received little encouragement from the public, our sole friends to date being the Auckland Aero Club, which has been most helpful in the past. It became obvious about two years ago that hangars and grounds were vitally nccessary for the future success of the club, and repeated requests were made to those in the official position to help for the use of aerodromes that were quite free each week-end. Again polite replies, but no action. Now, even at this late dste, we have made a vigorous attempt to retrieve the position. We have two perfectly good i machines for training, hundreds of keen young men to draw on for members and the nucleus of our organisation to conduct the club's affairs, but 110 grounds to fly upon. And here, in my opinion, is what would be ludicrous if it were not tragically real. There is a firstclass aerodrome available right at our backdoor, i.e., Mangore, which is being used for a few landings, etc., only by Union Airways during the week. We wrote to the Air Board about this, asking for permission to use it as soon as wc knew it had been vncatcd. We were told to approach the Auckland Aero Club. This body informs us that it has no right to give permission to anyone to use it, though it views our case with all sympathy. In fact they cannot give their own members any' training or service either. » What a stupid Gilbertian situationground available, hangars empty, and machines and personnel ready to use them for a valuable national service, and weeds growing where there should and could be a hive of industry. Well might your correspondent ask, "Where arc our gliding clubs?"