TRAINING AIRMEN

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 54, 27 November 1929, Page 12

TRAINING AIRMEN

USE OF GEAR ISLAND MINISTER’S APPROVAL RECOGNITION OF CLUBS The movement to use Gear Island as an aviation ground for tiie Hutt Valley, and as a solo training ground for tile Wellington Aero Club, was advanced a further stage yesterday, when a deputation waited upon the Minister of Defence (Hon. T. M. Wilford). The Minister gave an undertaking on behalf of the Government to recognise the island as a landing place, and also in duo time, when it took on the character of an aerodrome, to recognise it as such. He advised the deputation to form a small club, to affiliate with Wellington, and to take the necessary steps to acquire a lease of the land. Mr. A. W. Nisbet, who acted as spokesman, said that in view of the opinions expressed by various visiting pilots at the recent aerial pageant as to the suitability of the Rongotai airport as a training ground, WingCommander Grant Dalton visited Gear Island and appeared to be favourably impressed with the possibilities. At a public meeting held in Lower Hutt last Thursday, a resolution was carried unanimously setting up a small committee to interview the Minister of Defence, and also the various local bodies affected, with a view to securing approval and co-operation. Mr. Nisbet stated that the Hutt Rivei) Board GearIsland Empowering Act only provided for the leasing of the island to sports bodies, and there appeared to be some legal doubt as to whether an aero club was a “sports body.” The main object of the deputation was first of all to obtain official sanction and approval of Gear Island as an airport for the Hutt valley, and, secondly, to obtain the Minister’s assistance in having the necessary validating legislation passed —if such legislation was necessary—to enable the board to lease a part of the island to the Wellington Aero Club. The whole of the island was not required for aviation; the proposal was that it should be leased jointly by the Thorndon Golf Club and the Wellington Aero Club.

“Should you decide, as we feel sure you will, to assist us in obtaining the object we have in view, you will not only be solving the difficulties now confronting the Wellington Aero Club in respect of a solo ground, but you will be helping to establish a flying field for the Hutt Valley, and in view of the very practical interest you have always shown in aviation, this would be a very fitting termination to your thirty years of sterling service in the interest of the Hutt Valley,” concluded Mr. Nisbet. The Minister’s Reply. “As you know. I will be going out of office on Saturday' week and there is not very much lime for me to do anything,” said Mr. Wilford in replying. “On Thursday next, however, there will appear in the Gazette the first public notification of the recognised aviation authorities. . . . Under the new law recognised aviation authorities may receive contributions from local authorities. That is a start. But there is now power for local bodies to spend public money on other than recognised aviation clubs. When the Wanganui Aero Club is declared a recognised aviation authority the Borough Council can subscribe towards the establishment of an aerodrome not in the borough at all. So with other local bodies who will be allowed to spend money in a district over which they have no control provided the aero club is a recognised aviation authority. You have no club and I think you are wise, because those of us who have had any experience of aviation know that to run a club is a very expensive business. “It seems to me to be a mistake to have two clubs, as Wellington is only a few minutes away. I want to see Wellington the parent body with, say, a club in the Hutt, one at Martinborough, and another at Masterton. . . At present we have a Wairarapa Club and a Wellington Club. Whether it will be found in the future that these two clubs can join in and make one club I don’t know, but when the Government has to consider the question of assisting clubs the number means a good deal. When the Government recognises a club it undertakes to pay £25 a pilot up to 20 pilots a year. It also undertakes to loan aeroplanes, and, as you know, loaning machines means practically giving them away. The Government, therefore, has to seriously consider the recognition of clubs because of the liability attached to such a decision. At the present time the money available for aviation, civil or otherwise, is limited. There is no possibility of any civil aviation company receiving a subsidy from the Government this year. Official Recognition. “I want to see Gear Island used both as a landing place and an aerodrome,” continued the Minister. “Wing-Com-mander Dalton tells me that with a certain amount of money spent on it and a few necessary alterations, Gear Island is suitable for a landing place and an aerodrome. I believe you have no power under the law by which the Hutt River Board can lease to a recognised aviation authority. I believe that when the Act was put through Parliament none of us had enough foresight to include an aero club in the definition of a ‘sports body,’ with the result that, in my opinion, an amendment of the law will be necessary. I am satisfied that there would not be a dissentient voice in Parliament if a request was made for an amendment of the Hutt River Board Empowering Act. ■‘On behalf of the Government I am prepared to recognise your place ns a landing ground, and also in due time when it takes on the character of an aerodrome to recognise it as such; but you have a good way to go yet because you have no tenure. You can’t expect the Wellington Club to spend money on a ground over which you have no tenure. My idea is that you should form a small club, with unlimited membership, and affiliate with the Wellington Aero Club and that the latter should use Gear Island as a ground for the training of pilots. ... I would like to see one club between here and Masterton even if' you had to have subsidiary grounds. What I suggest to you is this; Form a small club, affiliate with the parent body—Wellington—put the work in trail! to get possession of the ground, get an amendment of the law, and then you will have no difficulty in eventually becoming a recognised aero club.” “Perfectly Suitable,” Wing-Commander Dalton said that on Monday last he visited Gear Island and considered it perfectly suitable for flying mid for training purposes. There were good approaches all round the ground. “I don’t think you would get more than five hundred yards of ground to land on in any direction, but you have open approaches which adds another two or three hundred yards on. For that reason 1 consider the ground suitable for training pilots. For commercial aviation I should prefer Rongotai; il is so near the town. Why not wash out Gear Island for commercial aviation? I fear there might be some ill-feeling between Wellington if you used Gear Island for commercial aviation . . .” The Minister: Do 1 understand that, there is a difference between li landingplace for the trained pilot mid a landingplace for a boy who is learning to fly? Wing-Commander Dalton i Yes, in

England, for instance, there are plenty of aerodromes which voti cannot possibly use for training pilots, but which are quite suitable for trained pilots. . . . The Wellington Club will find that they are handicapped because you can’t train pilots at Rongotai. The Minister asked whether it would not be possible for those interested to enter into a gentleman’s agreement regarding the ground until the legislation was passed next session. Mr. Nisbet: Well, would it be possible for the Government to give us a grant in the meantime for levelling the ground? (Laughter.) The Minister: No, 1 can’t do that. That base at Hobsonville has taken up a lot of money, but yon will be pleased to hear that Wing-Commander Dalton, who has inspected if. thinks it is first Tlie deputation thanked Mr. Wilford for the sympathetic hearing.