CIVIL AVIATION

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 82, 31 December 1928, Page 10

CIVIL AVIATION

TWO MOTHS FOR AUCKLAND

CONDITIONAL PROMISE BY MINISTER

Dominion Special Service. Auckland, December 30.

Safety first is the watchword of the Minister of Defence, the Hon. T. M. Wilford, as the head of aviation in New Zealand. .He promised a deputation of . the Auckland Aero Club this morning that they should haye one of the two Moth ’planes to be landed in January next, providing they had their pilot properly qualified and a competent ground engineer appointed, both of which stipulations the club undertook to fulfil. The deputation’s request was that they should get one of the Government machines at the .earliest possible moment. '• The Minister said it was the first occasion since taking office that he had been called upon to speak about air matters.' Although his position as the Minister in charge was new to him,'he had been interested in aviation for a number of years, and believed he. must be the oldest flying man, in the Dominion as he flew at Pau in 1912, when the record flight was from Paris to Bordeaux. Technically, of course, he would be of little value, but he was certainly keenly interested iff aviation and • its development.

As to the matters raised by the deputation, he. was advised that two aeroplanes would arrive here in January—two Moths out of eight that had been ordered. ■ They had been due to arrive before, but he understood that the slotted wing device had been adopted, and that it caused some little delay in delivery.. Of the eight ’planes the Government was importing, four would be retained by the Government for instructional purposes, two would be handed to the Auckland Club, and two to Sockburn. It had been stated that the Blenheim Club had received some sort of preference in the way of Moth ’planes, but the fact was that the. Blenheim Club handed the money for their machine to the Government. With regard to the two Moths that were to be allotted to Auckland, he did not see why the club should not have one right away, as soon as they were landed, provided the club had its pilot approved. The first, thing to do was to get their instructors’ course finished before they took charge of a machine. Such precaution was particularly necessary, when it was remembered the stringent conditions, the club being primarily responsible for any breakages, though, as a matter of course, he thought the Government would coffie to their help in any light expense. The instructor would have to go to Sockburn, and he (the Minister), would be prepared to give instructions that Major Cooper, of the Auckland Club, should proceed to Sockburn right away in order to go through a course. Mr. Wilford pointed out that the rules governing the operations of flying clubs were very strict indeed, and he made no .excuse for them. The first essential was a thoroughly competent ground engineer, who must be more than a mechanic.' His duties were to inspect each machine daily, and more often if necessary. The whole safety of young men who were to learn flying depended on the thoroughness with which machines were kept in perfect condition. While he was willing to .'help 'Clubs ’to develop, he refused to.-bear any part in helping them to hurry on if a pilot and ground anidneor warn mot absolutely, capable.