FEDERATION PLANE DAMAGED

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 8 March 1935, Page 6

FEDERATION PLANE DAMAGED

BELL BLOCK MISHAP RECALLED. CLUB REQUESTS SETTLEMENT. A mishap to a Western Federated (North Island) Flying Club ’plane which crashed into a fence at the Bell Block aerodrome, New Plymouth, last year, just before Mr Charles Ulm landed from one of his trans-Tasman flights, was recalled at a meeting of the club at Hawera yesterday. At the September meeting of the Federation, a resolution, subsequently communicated to Mr Beau Shi cl, who was the pilot of the ’plane at the time of the mishap, was passed calling on him to pay £SO damages. No reply to the communication was received from Mr Shiel and at yesterday’s meeting members took a stern view of the matter.

It was decided to -write to Mr Shiel asking him to settle for the damages. It was also decided to write to the Vacuum Oil Co. pointing out that as Mr Shiel was its aviation officer for New Zealand at the time, it should take some ste,p in the recovery of the. damages. If Mr Shiel does not reply within a month, the matter will bo put in the hands of the club’s solicitors. “If we allow the tiling to go on much longer,” said the president., Mr A. S. Burgess, “we will never get it settled. Mr Shiel has had plenty of opportunity to pay for his damages and if he fails now we should take strong action. Although he is no longer a member of its staff, the Vacuum Oil Co. should give us some help.”