Search for glider pilot fruitless

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33113, 2 January 1973, Page 1

Search for glider pilot fruitless

Two R.N.Z.A.F. Devons searched without success yesterday for a glider pilot missing on a cross-country trip from Omarama.

The pilot, Henry Andrew Aitken, aged 29, of Kimberley Street, Papanui. was last heard from when he radioed that he was leaving for the trip at 10 a.m. on Sunday. The Devons called off the search before 7 p.m. when

they were getting low on fuel. One returned to Christchurch 'and the other went to! I Queenstown. I Gliders continued to search ! until dark and the Devons [will take off again this morning if no sign of the man is i found. Mr Aitken was attending a gathering of glider pilots at Omarama and had taken off

at 8.30 a m. He was the only one to set out on a crosscountry trip on Sunday. According to information received by the Rescue Coordination Centre in Christchurch, Mr Aitken was to have flown to Cromwell and Tekapo and back again, a course of about 180 miles. After Mr Aitken was notified as missing, one Devon took off to search at 9.30 yesterday morning. Another Took off about 3 pm. in the hope of finding the pilot before worsening weather reached the area from the • west. The weather was good on Sunday but turbulent yesterday. There was some cloud but it did not hinder the • search. The missing glider was a .white skylark model with the letter CB on the tail. It was equipped with a radio but this is believed to have been a small one for communication on take-off and landing with airport control towers.