AERO CLUB

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 74, 20 December 1929, Page 8

AERO CLUB

£9OO PROFIT ON PAGEANT MORE MEMBERS WANTED A profit of £9ll/14/5 upon the recent air pageant was shown in the statement of accounts presented to the members of the Wellington Aero Club last night. An estimated profit and loss account for the first year’s operations, based upon the present membership, showed a deficit of £lO4O, and a big increase in membership is necessary. The income and expenditure account was as follows: —lncome: Admission tickets and collections. £Bl9/13/4'; programmes, £74/16/-; advertising, £75 10/-; height estimation competition, £9B/4/-; sundries, £22/2/10; net proceeds cabaret evening, £39/15/6; total, £ll3O/1/8. The expenditure was: Printing, advertising, stamps, and telegrams, £l3O/3/8; hotel expenses. £42/6/9 ; sundry expenses, £24/6/9; petrol and oil, £2l/10/1; leaving an excess of income over expenditure of £9ll/14/5. ’Plane Arriving Next Month. “The first ’plane, a Simmonds Spartan, will be arriving about the middle of January,” said the secretary of the club (Mr. N. McArthur). Estimate of First Year’s Work. ■ Another 400 members, half of which must be flying members, are needed by the club if the year is to end without a deficit. An estimated profit and loss account has been drawn up by the officers of the club on the present membership, which anticipates a loss of £lO4O. It is expected that 30 of the 100 flying members will obtain, their tickets, each taking eight hours’ dual control instruction at £3 per hour, and six hours’ solo at £2 huorly. The instructor will be paid £5OO, and the ground engineer £3OO, while the cost of oil and fuel is set down as £1 per hour. Detailed estimates are as follow:—

Income: Subscriptions, £3BO/2/-; tuition fees, £1080; joy rides (240 at £1), £240; Government subsidy, £3OO. Total. £2OOO/2/-. Expenditure: Instructor, £500; ground engineer, £300; ground rental, £500: depreciation on two machines. £600; crashes, two at £6O each and eight at £5 each), £160; amount written off improvements, £150; petrol and oil, £420; joy rides, £6O; insurance, £lOO. Total, £3040.

Deficit. £1039/18/-, making it. necessary to have another 400 members, half of whom must be flying members. The Club’s Only Hope,

In reviewing the estimated accounts, the chairman (Mr. J.W. Wallace) stated that.it was impossible to begin operations with the present membership of 130. The club’s only hope was to increase the membership. He refused to believe that there were only 130 people in Wellington who were sufficiently interested in aviation to pay a club membership fee. It was going to be very difficult to commence training with things as they were at present. However the new ’plane was not going to be kept in a packing case. Tentative arrangements were being made to have the machine in the air. and to give instruction, though this could only be done as a privilege. It could not go bn for more than a month or two. and if the membership did not brighten up within that period, the ’plane would have to be boused and not used.

Mr. McArthur said tha't both the Auckland and Canterbury Clubs had a membership of 500. and in answer to a question, stated that Auckland had 300 members at the outset, and they were finding that an aero club must be run on exacttly the same lines as a business conce>i;..' Mr.' A. W. Nesbit stated that the Marlborough Chib was how paying com-’ mercially. Asked whether £1 per hour for fuel was not an exhorbitant estimate, * the chairman stated that it might be reduced by 25 per cent., but the engine overhauls and spare parts would absorb any ’ excess, and the estimate of the cost of the insurance was a very low one.

It was decided to hold a membership drive, a prize being given to the member who brings in the greatest number of new members.