AERO CLUB POST

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30542, 10 September 1964, Page 18

AERO CLUB POST

Mr B. Antill Appointed Mr Brian Antill has been appointed chief flying instructor of the Canterbury Aero Club. He will begin his new job early next month. Mr Antill succeeds Mr I. Gundeson, who now works for the Department of Civil Aviation in Christchurch. No stranger to the aero club, Mr Antill, who is 30, learned to fly while a member in 1951. Later for three years he was an instructor at Harewood. Mr Antill said he began flying while still a pupil at Christchurch Boys’ High School in early 1951 after winning an Air Training Club flying scholarship. After leaving school Mr Antill joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He flew Harvards at Wigram and later did conversion training on Vampire jets at Ohakea. On his release from the service he joined the Canterbury Aero Club as an instructor. During the three years he was with the club Mr Antill, in addition to instructing, piloted the Milford Sound scenic flights from Christchurch.

A year ago he left the club for Te Anau as a pilot for Tourist Air Travel. Since then he has established a fulltime amphibian service at Te Anau. Mr Antill flies a Grumann Widgeon around Fiordland on scenic flights. In addition has has flown innumerable search and rescue missions. Not long ago he flew an injured worker from West Arm to Invercargill at night for an emergency operation. Only two weeks ago he found a fishing boat in Looking Glass Bay which had several days earlier been considered wrecked near George Sound.