AERO CLUB TIGER MOTHS

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 7

AERO CLUB TIGER MOTHS

Auckland Against Retention “The Press’’ Special Service AUCKLAND, December 17. The Auckland Aero Club has asked the Director of Civil Aviation (Sir Arthur Nevill) to amend the regulations which make it necessary for the club to retain at least one Tiger Moth in its fleet. The Civil Aviation Administration insists that candidates for commercial and light instructor licences must be taught to spin an aircraft and recover. The club recently began a commercial school. The design of modern light aircraft in use in New Zealand prohibits spinning, and therefore the club feels that the spinning clause in the regulations should be taken out. Apart from that, the Tiger Moth, it claims, is no longer economical, and costs more to retain and use than the modern Piper Super Cub, its replacement.

A letter from the club to the director states: “We have standardised our fleet on two Cessnas and four Cubs and the retention of even one Tiger Moth is contrary to the accepted principles of economical aircraft operation. The situation will in future become progressively worse as Tiger Moths and spares become harder to obtain and more expensive to operate At present in New Zealand there is no other suitable aerobatic aircraft available at a reasonable price.”