AERO CLUB SEEKS HELP

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22436, 24 June 1938, Page 7

AERO CLUB SEEKS HELP

TRAINING PILOTS FOR GOVERNMENT MORE AIRCRAFT URGENTLY NEEDED “At the annual meeting of the Royal New Zealand Aero Club every club was satisfied with the rate of £3 10s an hour received from the Government for training pilots for the Air Force and for the Civil Reserve, but all asked for a larger subsidy to be pai<•* into the general funds of the constituent clubs to permit the purchase of a sufficient number of machines,” said Mr R. S. Taylor, president in moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet of the Canterbury Aero Club at the annual meeting last evening. When the idea had been put forward originally, continued Mr Taylor, the delegates from the clubs had said that the scheme would interfere with the ordinary club flying, and this had been the experience of every _ club undertaking this work. The training of these pilots had taken up most of the time of the instructors and the aircraft available at the clubs, and he thought that the members had suffered this with extraordinary patience. If the scheme was to continue, the clubs would need more aeroplanes to provide machines for their members as well as for these Government trainees. Mr Taylor also said that it was considered that a new system of government at the club’s aerodrome was needed. Some had suggested that a manager should be appointed, but he doubted whether the time for that had yet come. What he would suggest was that two sub-committees be formed, one to control the finance, and the other to ensure a far greater state of discipline everywhere at the aerodrome. It would be the duty of the finance committee to keep a close check on all expenditure, to keep down tuition costs and hire to club members, to expand commercial flying as much as possible, and to find a way immediately of acquiring two new aeroplanes at least. This committee also would consider the setting up of a light aircraft section. • He made it clear that these committees would have no power of direct action, but would report their decisions to the full committee. Every member was expected to do what was possible to increase the popularity of flying, and to give full support to field days and flights to other centres. It was made a recommendation to the new committee that it should consider bringing before a general meeting of the club that the president vacating office should become, ex officio, a member of the committee for the following year. The election of officers resulted:— Patroness, Lady Wigram; president, Mr R. S. Taylor; vice-president, Dr. J. H. Fahey; honorary treasurer, Mr F. Worrall; committee, Messrs A, ’C. Baines, J. D. Neave, Barnard Owen, G. H. Ower, and J. Young; North Canterbury representative, Mr W. E. Gant; Mid-Canterbury representative, Mr J. Richardson; club captain, Mr W. A. Hopkins; auditor, Mr D. Hoare.