UNITED AERO CLUB

Grey River Argus, 25 August 1937, Page 2

UNITED AERO CLUB

ANNUAL REPORTS. The following report will be- presented by the secretary (Mr J. H. Brailsford) at the annual meeting of the West Coast United Aero Club tonight Our revenue during the year was £1295 4s sd, which, with subsidy of £413 10s, brought the general revenue to £l7OB 14s 5d and miscellaneous receipts of £64 Os sd, gave us a grand total of £1772 14s lOd. Our total costs exclusive of depreciation and replacements were £1409 17s 9d and exclusive of the above appropriations amounted to £1852 12s. 'On a basis or 610 flying hours for the year the individual items appear on an hourly basis as follows: — Expenditure: Flying account £2 2s 9d, administration 4s 9d, income and expenses Is 4d; nett operating cost £2 8s lOd, plus repairs reserve 6s lid, replacement res. 4s lid; £3 Os Bd. Receipts; Flying £2 2s sd, subsidy 13s 6d, income and expenditure 2s Id —£2 18s. This shows a loss per hour of 2s Bd, our accumulated fund of £Bl 18s 7d, now appearing as £2 Is sd, the difference being £79 17s 2d. The actual profit on operations was 9s 2d per hour, but this was just insufficient to take care of the necessary appropriation items amounting to 11s lOd per hour. . The balance-sheet shows that £490 2s 7d represented by various assets has been contributed from revenue and this is the reason why the Club’s cash position is not as favourable as it otherwise would be, had we in the first instance, acquired capital funds for capital expenditure. Consequently the Club has done well indeed io carry on without initial funds. During the year each machine was gounded for one complete month. aDZ compiled only 12 hours one month and in each of four months AAZ compiled 12, 12, 11 and 11 hours respectively so that upon a basis of average monthly flyings hours each machine was out of commission for two months, inferring that we actually flew for only 10 months. This i', of course, a general thing in all clubs as machines must undergo repairs and overhaul. However, we have always suffered from chronic lack of ma chines and if we had even possessed three machines we could have kept, excepting mishaps two machines constantly employed with a consequent beneficial effect upon our finances. With four machines there is no reason why we should not do very well on the West Coast as the flying is definitely offering. Thus, the re medy is more machines. Large expenditure was necessary to make AAZ serviceable again, part of the cost ap pearing in this year’s accounts and the apparent- value of the machine now stands at £192 6s 7d. The Government free issue machine, AAZ and AAD now makes available to the club three machines and it will be a wise policy to explore ways and means of acquiring at least one further machine. .. With the inauguration of the Civil Reserve scheme and acquisition of machines the future of the club appears to be more promising than ever before and, it is anticipated that the remainder of the year will show increasingly favourable returns. When the club was first formed J accepted the position as your honorary secretary, and I have carried on ever since. It was not my intention to retain the office indefinitely, but I felt that, once started, I could not hand over affairs until the club was properly established on a sound footing. This appeared to be the case several times but misfortune in various directions willed otherwise. How ever, it would appear that the club’s affairs are now sufficiently sound to enable me to hand over the reins of office to a successor and thus I may now relinguish my office. I must thank you for the confidence you have always reposed in me and for the courteous co-operation which you have extended in the not easy task of running a federated club. I have thoroughly enjoyed my happy association with the club and in taking my leave as your executive officer I am confident that my successor will enjoy the same harmonious collaboration I have experienced. In particular I have appreciated the sincere co-operation of the Pilot-Instructoi and other members of the staff, our harmonious relations being no small factor in ensuring that we pull together. , The balance-sheet as at March di, 1937, is as follow?:— Liabilities: Loan, IkamatuaClub £2l 14s 3d, sundry creditors £lO4 4s 4d repairs reserve £543 Is 4d, replacements reserve £257 13s sd, flying fees paid in advance £5 6s, accumulated fund £2 Is sd; total £934 Os 9d. Assets: Cash at bank £2lB 16s 3d, Stock in hand (badges £6 13s lOd, spare parts £l9 6s lOd, log books H 16s) £27 16s Bd, sundry debtors (vanous£76 Ss 3d. flying £l43t 18s 9d <£22o 7s), tools and equipment £l2 5s lid, Gypsy Moth ZK—AAZ £450, deposit N.Z. Railways £1 0s lOd, suspense £3 14s Id; total £934 0s 9d. Flying Account. Expenditure: Benzine £321 18s, less petrol tax refund £lO7 Is jld (£214 : 16s 8d), oil £26 6s, Repairs, AAZ £202 5s 7d, ADZ £196 8s 6d (£398 14s Id), salaries, instructor £459 Is 9d, groun-. engineer £155 10s 4d (£614 12s Id), travelling expenses £8 Ils Id, postage, etc £lO, printing, etc. 7s 3d, miscellaneous expenses £4 14s 6d, insurance £6 12s lid, licenses £5 Is, subsidy refund £l2 6s 3d, depreciation, tools 13 Is 6d, balance to I. & E. account £4 Ils Id; total £l7OB 14s sd. Receipts: Flying fees £1295 4s sd, subsidy £413 10s; total £l7OB 14s sd. Administration Account. Expenditure: Salaries £ll3 15s 6d, hank charges £3 12s 3d miscellaneous expenses £1 17s, postage etc. .£l2 10s 7d, printing, etc. £9 0s 4d, traVling expenses £3 12s 3d; total £l4 Balance I. & E. account £144 7s lid. Income and Expenditure Account. Expenditure: Administration account £144 7s lid, affiliation, N.Z. Aero Club £l5 15s, donations granted £l4 17s 6d, pageant 4s, audit fees £lO 10s (£4l 6s 6d), balance to appn. account £2Bl 17s Id; total £467 Ils 6d. Receipts: Flying account £403 ils Id, affiliation fees, con. clubs, £22 Is, copper trail £1 Bs, meeting expenses 2d. badge sales 13s 7d, interest 9s Bd, sales equipment Bs, donations £39 (£64 0s sd); total £467 11s 6d. Appropriation Acpount. Repairs reserve: 610 hours 25 minutes at £1 per hour £6lO 8s 4d, less

repairs charged £398 14s Id (£2ll 14s 3d), replacements reserve (33 1-3 original cost of ZK—AAZ) £l5O/ surplus carried forward £2 Is sd; total £363 15s Bd. By I. & E. account £2Bl 17s Id, surplus 1/4/36 £Bl 18s 7d; total £363 15s Bd. Receipts and Payments. Receipts: Balance as per cash book 1/4/36, £202 17s 7d, flying fees £1206 13s Bd, McGregor fund £l5 3s, Fraser fund £l, travelling expenses £7 4s, equipment 4s, benzine 18s, affiliation fees £l5 12s, badges £ll 4s 2d, copper trail £1 Bs, petrol tax refund £9B 18s, bank charges ss, wings 12s, postage 3s Bd. ground engineering £l, subsidy £413 10s, donation £4, interest, Savings Bank £1 9s 8d; total £1982 2s 9d. Payments: Salary, secretary £llO, honorarium typiste £3 15s 6d, bank charges £4 3s 9d, repairs, etc, AAZ £230 17s Bd, ADZ £l7O 10s Id, benzine £328 4s 6d, oil £26 11s 9d, sundry flying expenses £3l 13s Id. ground engineering £156 10s 4d, printing, stationary, advertising £ll Is 3d, postage, telegrams and bureaux £24 16s sd, purchases, equipment 12s, salary, instructor £459 Is 9d, travelling expenses £l7 12s Bd, allocation, meeting expenses £4 3s 4d, McGregor fund £35 0s 6d, Fraser fund £l, Gypsy Moth AAZ £2O, legal expenses Bs, donations £9 17s 6d, subsidy refund £l2 6s 3d, audit fees £lO 10s, licenses £2, loan Greymouth Club £5O, insurance £3 12s lOd, sundry expenses £1 9s, badges £7 17s 6d, pageant 4s, sundred debtors (flying) £7 (£l6l 5s 7d), flying, stock £l9 6s 10d, deposit, N.Z. Railways £3, balance as per cash book 31/3/37, £2lB 16s 3d; total £1982 2s 9d. PRESIDENT’S REPORT.

The report of the President (Mr. H. T. Parry) states:— It gives me pleasure to report upon the Club’s activities during the past fifteen months. The financial year was scheduled to end at 30th June but under arrangment with the Government our accounts have been made up to 31st March Flying: Your aircraft has flown 'for some 610 hours this being ap proximately 51,000 miles during the, year despite the worst conditions we have experienced for many years and details of instruction and member flying are dealt with in the PilotInstructor’s report. Unfortunately on April 6th of this year we lost ZK-ADZ but fortunately the pilot was not seriously injured although the machine will be permanently unserviceable. However, we have arranged for use of Gypsy 1 Moth ZK-AAD and as shall receive the free issue Tiger Moth, for which we are indeed grateful, from the Government our present adverse condition with regard to aircraft should be soon rectified. It was found that ZK-AAZ required extensive work to make her serviceable at Certificate of Airworthiness inspection and although the Club was reluctant to incur the expenditure we were compelled to proceed with the work in order to maintain continuity of operations. Furthermore we could not, at that moment, procure any avenue whereby we could secure sufficient funds to purchase, replacement aircraft. Grounds and Facilities: During the year the aerodrome at our Greymouth Headquarters was licensed and opening day on February 20th was the occasion for a large crowd to witness the further realization of our ambitions to extend our operations. The comodious hangar, clubrooms and excellent facilities which the Greymouth Club has provided are a credit to the enterprise of the Committee, members and citizens. The ground at Hokitika is steadily being improved and extended and will eventually be a very fine ground indeed whilst we understand plans are being made for provision of the facilities which are present at Greymouth. Westport ground is now licensed and we have received advice that the Westport Club has plans well advanced for the erection of a

temporary hangar capable of removal when the new ground is completed so that we shall soon be operating at the northern town. Ikamatua Club is making a determined effort to provide a ground whilst the authorities are busily engaged in making the Ross aerodrome available for training purposes. We have visited Wataroa for training on several occasions and we anticipated that a hangar will eventually be built there. Pageant: The South Island Pageant at Hokitika promised from preliminary preparations to be an outstanding success but most unfavourable weather conditions marred our optimistic hopes and events were flown under very trying and extreme difficulties. We are indeed sorry that Mr. Sharman in Canterbury Moth ZK-AAI met with an unfortunate mishap. We deplore the sad fate of Messrs Hamill and Smith To both parties we have tendered our sincere sympathy. We take this opportunity of thanking those many willing enthusiasts who assisted so. readily at the Pageant and particularly must we mention the Hokitika Aero Club who again took upon themselves the arduous duties of conducting the'display. Doubtless, under circumstances members will be pleased to learn the, Pageant cleared expenses. Air Services: The year is an epic in West Coast aviation as it marks the commencement of the Cook Strait Airways Ltd. service from Wellington to Hokitika and return running at present on three days. The company has arranged wireless facilities at Hokitika and Greymouth and is giving excellent, safe and speedy service. When we realise that we now have available a through air jservice from Waiho and further south to Auckland it gives us cause for gratification when we look back upon our early and apparently hopeless struggles to establish aviation on the West Coast for not only have we air services but also an excellent flying club. Civil Reserve: In connection with the Civil Reserve your officers have attended a number of meetings in Wellington and we were allotted nine trainees for the first year. The candidates selected have all beev examined of whom two have already commenced their training and several more will soon be under tuition. The old subsidy scheme has been withdrawn and the new training scheme substituted whereby we receive for the nine pupils at 40 hours each, 360 hours at £3 10s per hour plus 40 hours wastage at £3 10s per, hour plus a subsidy of £4OO, at the end of each year. We are hoping providing we are assured of sufficient aircrafts, that not only will we be able to stabilise our finances but that we shall in course of time be able to so build up our civil flying that we may give cheaper rates. We are appreciative of the assistance which has been given to us from many sources and it would be futile to attempt to enumerate here all those enthusiasts who have been ever ready to assist. However, we »must in particular thank, the oflicers and staff of the Air Department for their co-operation and advice. Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd., and Cook Strait Airways Ltd for n^ n >' courtesies, Canterbury Aero Club for their generosity in making a machine available to our pilots at the Pageant when all our aircraft were unserviceable the Press for their interest and goodwill in our activities, 3ZR for their sustained interest in aviation and Greymoutn Surf Club for the splendid efforts in rescing our pilot member from the crashed machine in the sea at Greymouth. Mr. A. J. McDowall, past President of the Club is leaving us soon for the North Island and we are very sorry to lose one who has been such a tower of strength and a driving force behind our many activities and efforts io assist us to place the West Coast on the aviation map. He will be n’.uch missed' and difficult to replace. Nev-

ertheless we wish him all success in the future trusting ccf hear from him on other flying fields. We .had the honour of. welcoming Miss Jean Batten during her N.Z tour and your members did all possible for her entertainment. We desire also to record our appreciation of the Club’s Staff Messrs Parke and Brailsford. To them is due in no small mea sure the apparent successful conduct of the Club’s affairs. Mr. Parke,, our instructor, continues to give excellent service and his many years of ripened experience imparted is evidenced in the pilots trained by him. Mr. Brailsford, our Secretary, has kept his department to a very high standard of efficiency and we have been exceptionally fortunate in the choice of his appointment. The ground engineers, Messrs Templeton ( and Cane have in the past also rendered good service but during the year resigned Mr. McDonald recently appointed, has an excellent record and doubtless the Club’s machines under his care will always be airworthy. In conclusion and upon retirement as your President, I congratulate the Club on the splendid progress made and thank the many members and officers concerned, all helping to produce this excellent report. INSTRUCTOR’S REPORT. The Pilot Instructor (Flight Lieut. Parke) in his report states: — Gentlemen, —I have much pleasure in presenting this, my second annual report on the flying activities of the Club for the past current year ending March 31, 1937. The training side was again simpered for the lack of aerodromes and . inclement weather, the aerodrome at Greymouth being finally licensed and officially opened on 20th Febiuary. Two minor accidents were encountered during the year namely, the left and right bottom longerons were broken on ADZ by heiwy landings. The damage for the first accident was repaired by ourselves and the other by Mr. Sutton of Air Survey. We removed from Hokitika to our Headquarters at Greymouth after the official opening and Mr. Sutton carried out C and A. overhaul on machine ZK-AAZ after negotiating with the Controller of Civil Aviation for an extension of life for this aircraft. It was left in first class condition when Mr. Sutton finished the job and the work carried out on ADZ by Air Survey was done at Hokitika where the accident occurred, our thanks being due to Messrs Air Travel for the use of their facilities. I am sorry to record ADZ was later crashed into the sea at Greymouth and was a total loss. The official South Island Pageant was. allotted to this Club to be held at Hokitika and as usual the weather decided against us, the majority of Clubs making a fine effort to get here and these comprised Hawke’s Bay and East Coast, Western Federated, Wairarapa Aero Club, Wellington, Marlborough and Canterbury with a Vildebeeste from the R.N.Z.A.F. base at Hobsonville. Mr. J. Buckeridge represented the Civil Aviation Department, the events being run off on the Sunday as the weather would permit, the end of the proceedings being marred by an accident to a Canterbury machine and pilot. Mr. G. Sellars gave two parachute descents A Rapide from Cook Strait Airways with Flt./Lt. Bolt at the controls amused trippers with joyrides in the vicinity. Mr. J. F. Cane was engaged as ground engineer to the club in October. He has since terminated his services to take up a position as co-pilot with Union Airways. The following pupil members gained “A” licenses during the year:— B. Cummings, A. Johnson, L. Weir. Father O’Gorman, J. O’Hara, M. Spiers, G. Green, P. Beban, D. Kerr. The three last named completed training by courtesy of the Canterbury Aero Club, both of. our machines being out of commission.

The following “A” license pilots were granted endorsements to their licences:—Mrs J. Langford, A. Johnson, B. Cummings, I Quinny, A. Tregidga and M. E. Spiers whilst R. Grant passed “B” license test during the year. The flying times for both machines during the year were:—■ AAZ. —Test 4hrs 25mins; ferry lhr dual 45hrs; Solo, 2Shrs 25mins; A End,, 4hrs smins; E.A.w.P., 66.5; A.S. 94.10; Pass, 13.15; total, 256 hrs 25 mins. ADZ.—Test, 2.35; Ferry, 3.35; Dual, 63.40; Solo, 15.30; A. End 1.30; E.A.w.P. 1500.00; A.S., 106.50; Pass., 5.15; Pass. Grey., 5.05; total, 354 hrs OOmins. Grand total for year—6lohrs 25 mins. Giving us a grand total of 610 hrs 25mins as compared with 477 hrs 30 mins, of the preceding year, our operations being greatly retarded by inclement weather and the aerodrome still under construction at Greymouth. The Club’s aircraft ZK-AAZ is in good condition and excepting accidents and with the sanction of the Civil Aviation Department should see us over the journey a bit longer than anticipated. In conclusion .1 would like to thank the President and Secretary of the Club for their close co-operation in all things and the members of the Council for their renewed confidence in me. I trust the coming year with the Government scheme for training Civil Reserve Pilots will be a boom one and help to relieve our difficulties of financial stress, enabling us to strengthen our fleet of aircrafts so that we can adequately service our districts and our membership to its utmost limits.