Security Maintained At Wigram During Racing

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30981, 10 February 1966, Page 7

Security Maintained At Wigram During Racing

An assurance that no relaxation in security takes place at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base, Wigram, during motor racing is given by a R.N.Z.A.F. headquarters spokesman in reply to a letter to the editor of “The Press” signed “Interested.” The correspondent writes: —

“Now that the motor racing at Wigram is over, will someone in authority please explain why it is necessary to throw a defence establishment open to activities of this nature? Entry to the air station is a simple matter at any time—this applies also at Burnham Military Camp—but it is made doubly easy by permitting its use as a racing circuit What, for instance, would be the position if it became necessary to get aircraft into the air urgently on a war footing at such a time? Do the authorities acknowledge the opportunity for sabotage, or its possibility? I doubt if the public are permitted to be entertained in such a manner on military stations in the United Kingdom, United States, or Russia.” “No operational activity in the Royal New Zealand Air Force is based at the R.N.Z.A.F. base, Wigram, which is purely a training base and is equipped with unclassified aircraft and facilities,” the spokesman says. “Moreover, only a portion of the airfield is made available to the motor racing fraternity; to wit the concrete taxiways and immediate surrounds. Admission is denied the public to Air Force buildings unconnected with the motor racing activity. “Under the circumstances your correspondent can be assured that no relaxation to security takes place. The Royal New Zealand Air Force endeavours simply, with Min-

isterial approval, to co-oper-ate with a section of the public who could not afford normally to provide themselves with an expensive concrete raceway. Unlike some other countries which your correspondent mentions, this also serves to keep this type of racing off public highways which, overseas, are often closed for the purpose.”