AERO CLUB.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19612, 7 May 1929, Page 13

AERO CLUB.

ASHBURTON DEPUTATION TO MINISTER.

FINANCE AND SMALL CLUBS. Yesterday morning the nine members of the Aero Club who have commenced training, under the club instructor, Mr J. O. Mercer, were all out at the aerodrome and continued their instruction in spite of rather unfavourable weather.

lteferring to the statement of the Minister for Defence, the Hon. Mr Wilford, that no aero club could be run under £3OOO a year, Mr Mercer said that clubs could possibly scrape aJong under that figure but they would be very much hampered for lack of funds. The Canterbury Club, he said, had some very good friends and hoped to train 30 to 40 pupils a year. He thought they should be able to raise the money required. Mr Mercer agreed with the Minister that two or three enemy ships carrying perhaps 20 to 30 bombers would prove a serious menace to New Zealand in time of war as at present we would not have much more than a dozen fighting machines for the whole country. Though aero club pilots would not be able to fly heavy bombers they would know the rudiments of the air and would learn to fly defence machines more quickly.

[THE PSESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, May 6. A deputation waited on the Minister for Defence this morning asking for official recognition to be given to the proposed Ashburton Aero Club. It was pointed out that there are already 156 members, 51 of whom are desirous of being trained as pilots. The members of the deputation statod that they believed the local authorities were willing to co-operate in obtaining a ground, and that Captam Findlay had already inspected the district with a view to the selection of a possible landing place and had expressed satisfaction with the facilities offering. The Minister (the Hon. Mr Wilford) said he would be visiting Christchurch shortly and he would take that opportunity of discussing the matter from the point of view of the establishment of one big club for the whole district, as he had done recently in Hawke's Bav, instead of a lot of small clubs. Mr Wilford pointed out that Ashburton was only 2-5 minutes by air from Christchurch. He would welcome the seleetion of a landing ground at Ashburton, but he thought the question of tee establishment of the club would have -o stand over. ]