AVIATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 February 1937, Page 15

AVIATION

CAPE RECORD [BY CABLE —PRESS assn.-copyright.) (Recd, February 27, 8 a.m.) LONDON, February 26. Llewellyn left Croydon in a Percival Vega Gull, in. an attempt on the record, Cape Town and back. TUNIS, February 26.. Llewellyn has arrived. MISSING LINER , SYDNEY, February 26. ’ Airlines of Australia, Ltd., the owners of the missing Stinson aeroplane, have offered £2OO reward for information leading to the discovery of the machine, which disappeared, with seven persons on board, a week ago. FRENCH FLIERS CRASH. SHANGHAI, February 26. Libert and Denis crashed in IndoChina. It is believed that they were injured. BLENHEIM AIRPORT BLENHEIM, February 26. Union Airways and Cook Strait Airways will soon be operating from the Blenheim municipal airport, where extensive enlargements are nearing completion. For the last year, the air services have been using the Woodbourne flying field, from which the Southern Cross took oif on the first New Zealand to Australia flight, in 1928. Some time ago this property was taken by the Government for a future air force station, the airways companies having temporary rights. Two hundred men have been engaged for more than a year under the Public Works Department, in developing the municipal airport, which is of interest in Dominion aviation history, because it was established as an aerodrome shortly after Captain Ewan Dickson’s secret dash to Blenheim for the first Cook Strait flight in 1920. Later it became the first aero club aerodrome in the Dominion, when the Marlborough Aero Club began operations in 1920. Now the extended field embraces an area of 160 acres, offering adequate runways in all directions, the longest being 940 yards, with room for subsequent extension to 240 acres if necessary. An interesting feature will be special ground markings, comprising a landing circle, 100 feet in diameter defined by a concrete circumference five feet wide. Alongside the ring will be the word “Blenheim,” in concrete letters 16 feet long, 23 feet wide, and spaced at 16 feet intervals. Already the aero club, which is the controlling authority, has a handsome clubhouse, workshops, and hangar capable of accommodating six machines. When the commercial services transfer, they will establish a fully-appointed passenger building.