AIR RACE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25307, 6 October 1947, Page 9

AIR RACE

Sir,—Congratulations to “The Press” and “Waste Not, Want Not” for opening up the subject. The Aero Club’s statement in last Saturday’s issue is just so much hooey—side-stepping the real issue, and not in the least justifying an air race, alias navigation contest even in February, while the whole Dominion is being asked to save dollars for Britain by reducing petrol consumption. Their latest protagonists’ best effort is that aviation spirit is not petrol and does not cost dollars, Ye Gods! And that from the Chamber of Commerce! Reports in “The Press” since show that the public is not convinced by the club’s socalled statement. If the club is sincere, let it call a general meeting of all its members to support the race or postpone it for 12 months, by which time England hopes to be out of the financial wood.—Yours, etc., DOLLARS NOT HUMBUG. October 3. 1947.

Sir,—Before deciding to support this’ ill-advised air race, and abuse the Canterbury Progress League, which brought the Canterbury Aero Club into existence, was the Chamber of Commerce aware that opportunity already exists for pilots to test and refresh their airmanship and navigational ability without the need for using a huge quantity of petrol (aviation spirit costing dollars), which this much-debated contest would call for. For instance, Viscount Bledisloe gave a handsome trophy for such a test to be held annually at an official air pageant in some part of the Dominion under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Aero Club. Mr Dench’s reported remarks about grounding machines and “stymieing” the Royal New Zealand Air Force are quite irrelevant and nonsensical. The president of the Progress League is to be complimented upon his stand, and the league for endorsing it.—Yours, etc., AERO CLUB MEMBER. October 3, 1947.

Sir, —In your issue of to-day I note the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce has given support to the air race project after a debate on the undesirability of using petrol for such a purpose at this time of crisis. One member, after a childish jibe at the Progress League, said: “Would anyone suggest that a destroyer due for normal exercises should not have oil because of the oil situation?” And this weighty argument apparently carried the day. If these gentlemen, described recently by one of themselves as “those of us who study world affairs,” had read “The Press” of last Saturday they would have learned that to save fuel the British Admiralty has cancelled the Home Fleet’s autumn cruise. —Yours, etc., WHAT DO YOU KNOW? October 3, 1947.