West Melton man ready for air race

Press, 4 February 1987, Page 9

West Melton man ready for air race

By‘CATHERINE HARRIS

Tom Dick, of West Melton, was the first to enter in the Singapore to Christchurch air race and thinks he is probably the first to be ready for it. It has taken him about five months to make and get approval for modifications to his Piper Turbo Arrow IV. He plans to leave for Singapore on March 12. With him as co-pilot will be an Air New Zealand flight simulator instructor in Auckland, Mr Gordon Thompson. Late entries for the March race closed on Monday with 36 entries. Mr Dick wishes them well but predicts problems for last-minute New Zealand entries. “Some may have left their run a little late and maybe don’t realise what is involved in getting approval and getting auxiliary fuel tanks built,” he said. “Obviously you don’t want it to be ready the day before you go because you have done no proofing.” - Official approval of modifications could take up to iy 2 months, Mr Dick said. “I think there are going to be a few frustrated people in the end because of bureaucracy.” Meanwhile, organisation of the race and its destination, Christchurch Airport’s jubilee air show oh

March 28 and 29, is well under way. . Of the 36 entries, 13 are from New Zealand, 12 from Australia, five from Singapore, and one from Greece as well as four entries in the commercial and military sections. The commercial manager of the project, Mr Bryce Hawkins, said he was “thrilled” with the number Of entries. “The whole concept of the race must be attractive to get such a good response.” Christchurch has spawned two other entrants. Laurie Hanafin will fly a Piper PA32-300 and C. A.. Johnston will navigate for two Ashburton men, John Shivas and G. R. Hanrahan. The Royal New Zealand Air Force will celebrate its own jubilee by entering a Boeing 727 in the commercial section alongside Singapore Airline’s weekly 747 flight and a

possible Air New Zealand DCB cargo flight. An R.N.Z.A.F. Orion is entered in the military class. A handicap system will be used so that all aircraft have an equal chance of winning the handicap prize, a funcational de Havilland Tiger Moth. One of the contestants will, also try to bring a World War II Spitfire from Australia for the jubilee. Brian Souter, an Air New Zealand training captain in Wellington, said that if finance could be found it would be the first Spitfire to fly in New Zealand skies. “If somebody said he was driving from Invercargill to see it we wouldn’t be at all surprised,” he said. It was the only functional Spitfire in Australasia and one of only two Mark 8 models in the world.