BENEATH THE WINDSOCK

Evening Star, Issue 21706, 28 April 1934, Page 8

BENEATH THE WINDSOCK

[By Gvpst Moth.]

PLANES AND PILOTS. Arrangements are in hand for three Moths to visit Invercargill to-morrow, leaving the Taieri after lunch. On Sunday the planes will visit Moss burn and Cromwell, returning to Taieri about noon. Any pilot or passenger desiring to make the trip should communicate with the secretary as soon as possible. Pilot D. Campbell has been elected to fill the vacancy on the executive caused by the resignation of Mr 11. Hudson, who has left Dunedin. A field day will be held at Tapanui on May 19, when it is hoped to have a good rally of pilots and planes. During the week the aerodrome was visited by the Canterbury Aero Club’s now Fox Moth, piloted by Flight-lieu-tenant Mercer, with Sir Hubert Wilkins as passenger. On arrival at the aerodrome Sir Hubert was welcomed by the mayor (Mr E. T. Cox). On Friday last Flight-lieutenant E. G. Olson flew to Christchurch in ZK-Ace. A strong head wind was experienced, the trip taking 3 hours 20 minutes. The return trip was ma-do in 1 hour 50 minutes. A Puss Moth piloted by Squadron Leader Findlay, with Major W. 1. K. Jennings as passenger, arrived on April 23, returning the following day. In connection with the Anzao Day commemoration ceremony, the chib’s three Moths, piloted by officers of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, formed up'over the city and dived towards the Cenotaph in saiute. The flight was led by Flight-lieutenant Olson, with Flightlieutenant Duffey and Pilot Officer Campbell on the wings. The Waco cabin plane is proving very popular for week-end joyrides, and all .who make a flight int his machine comment on the comfort and exceedingly good visibility. On Saturday evening the members of the executive, together with the flying members, gathered in the club room to bid farewell to and present a parting gift to Flight-lieutenant Duffey, who is leaving for Christchurch at the end of the month. Mr Paterson spoke for the executive and Mr Campbell for the pilots. CLUB COMPETITIONS.

At a meeting of pilots held recently it was decided to hold the annual competitions on Juno 3. Trophies io be competed for are the interflight, banner presented by Mr S. Hudson; cups presented by Messrs J. R. Brown and J. Trengrove, and a clock mounted on an air screw boss presented, by Flightlieutensftt Olson. The competitions will take the form of landing, bombing, and a short triangular cross-coun-try reconnaissance flight on compass courses. Pilots will be organised! into two flights, Pilot C. Tait commanding A flight and Pilot M. Greenslade commanding B flight. Commencing next month, a competition will be held for a prize of two hours’ free flying presented by Mr A. Hudson. The conditions are that a pilot shall attempt two landings a month on a given mark. The attempt may be made at any time during the month provided the instructor is notified before the attempt. Practise flights will be allowed, and pilots will be handicapped according to their flying time, pilots of over fifty hours being scratch. .Points will be given for take-off, approach, and landing, the pilot with the highest number of points being the winner. TENDERS FOR SEAPLANE SERVICE.

Tlio Minister in Charge of Territories (Mr Marr) has made the official announcement that the Commonwealth Government intends to invite tenders for a seaplane service for the use of the Administration of the mandated territory of New Guinea. A minimum annual payment of £1,600 will be guaranteed the contractor by the Administration for the performance of a service which it is considered will be of considerable benefit not only to the Administration, but also to residents of the more rernote parts. No person will be eligible to tender unless he is of British nationality, and no company unless it is registered in Australia and its directors and shareholders are British subjects. Tenderers will be required to submit quotations as to the rate per mile at which they will be prepared to establish and maintain an aircraft service for the carriage of all passengers and goods as required by the Administration for three years from the date the service is commenced. Aircraft by which the service is to be performed must at all times during the period of the contract be ready and available for the use of the Administration. The aircraft is to be based at Rabaul, where a site will be provided rental free for the use of the contractor for the erection of a hangar and workshops, and also facilities for the shelter, maintenance, and operation of the aircraft. GRAF ZEPPELIN’S RECORP. The German airship Graf Zeppelin has made 355 trips m six years in 7,343 hours, at an average speed of 62.9 m.p.h. Passengers carried totalled

8,900, mail 44,5441 b, and freights 82,7751 b. This year should be quite an important one for the Graf Zeppelin, for she has less than 40,000 miles to cover to complete half a million miles in service since 1928. The figure is little more than a third of the mileage she accomplished last year. ATLANTIC AIR SERVICE. What might prove the first link in a transatlantic air service is embodied in an entirely new project announced by the Under-Secretary for Air (Sir Philip Sassoon), for which the sum of £IO,OOO has been allocated in the Air Estimates. This is a weekly service between New York and Bermuda, in which Imperial Airways Ltd. and an American interest would co-operate. An alternative direct route via Newfoundland is also being considered in conjunction with the Canadian and Newfoundland Governments.