“A WILD SCRAMBLE”

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 24, 23 October 1936, Page 10

“A WILD SCRAMBLE”

Demand For Aeroplanes By Clubs machines on loan Tile Government's decision to lend three planes to aero clubs for training purposes was referred to by Mi. S. E. Nielson, secretary of the New Zealand Aero Club and the 'Western Federati.Ni Aero Club, in an interview, in which be spoke of the federation’s chances of securing one of the machines lor use at New Plymouth, Hawera and Wanganui. . Mr. Nielson said that no indication had been given as to which clubs the planes would be'allocated 10. It bad originally been intended, lie said, to make six machines available. Now that the number was announced as only three there would be a wild scramble bv all clubs. 'The Western Federation would do all it could to obtain one of the planes, as an extra machine was urgently needed. At present the club found it most difficult to cope with instruction and general flying with the number of planes at its disposal. Mr. Nielson recently stressed the need for more training aircraft, saying there was an acute shortage caused by the rapid and general increase in interest in air travel. He emphasised that something would have to be done to increase the number of machines in the Dominion. "Never in the history of the aeroelub movement has there been such a large number of pupils offering, nor such keenness to continue flying among pilots who have gained their tickets,” he said. “It is unfortunate that the Government has not been able to supply clubs on loan with any new machines for more than two years. There are waiting lists of pupils in every club and these arc composed of the best type of youth in the country. All are of military age.”

His contentions were strongly supported by representatives of the clubs in Auckland, Canterbury and Otago. Mr. S. Taylor, president of the Otago Aero Club, emphasised that better training machines would provide a greater stimulus ‘for and improve the prospects of pupils wishing to take up flying with a view to progressing to entry to the Royal Air Force. The demand for up-to-date training machines is such that both the Wellington and the Canterbury Aero Clubs decided recently to import planes of their own from England.