TE KUITI AERO CLUB

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4459, 19 October 1933, Page 5

TE KUITI AERO CLUB

ENTHUSIASM OF PUPILS. IMPROVING LANDING GROUND. Te Kuiti is fast becoming accustomed to the drone of an aeroplane each week. On Friday last Captain Lett arrived in the Blue Moth “Kia Ora” sharp at 8 a.m. He was kept busy with a full programme until nearly 5 o’clock in the evening. Although several applications were received from intending passengers, pupils were the order of the day and only one passenger was able to be taken during the whole day.

The “Kia Ora” has had an interesting and not uneventful career. She was owned originally by Mr. Gordon Selfridge, of London, for private flying. She was subsequently purchased by Mr. Oscar Garden, and it was in this machine that Mr. Garden made his journey from London to Sydney in 1931. The “Kia Ora” was then purchased by Mr. Martin Scott, of Hamilton, and did considerable flying throughout New Zealand. It was not until last month that the ’plane was purchased by the Auckland Aero Club for use at Hamilton, Te Kuiti and Tauranga. It is an all metal Moth with a cruising speed of 70 miles per hour. The rails up the side of the track on the racecourse have now been removed and it is now possible to use the actual track itself for landings, which is of great assistance. The white pine bush at the northern end of the racecourse is, however, a very great disadvantage and not until these trees are removed will the racecourse ever be a really satisfactory aerodrome. The Racing Club Committee have sanctioned various alterations and the result will be the creation of a runway at right angles to the present track, which will make landings possible even with a strong westerly wind. No less than nine pupils received instruction on Friday last, including one lady member. Until the improvements to the racecourse are completed it will not be feasible for the ’plane to make further visits to Te Kuiti for instructional purposes. Arrangements are being made, therefore, for all the Te Kuiti pupils to receive instruction in the meantime at the Te Rapa Aerodrome in Hamilton.

On Tuesday the new “Red-Wing” ’plane, ZK-ADD, paid a visit to Te Kuiti. It was piloted by Captain Matheson with Mr. H. T. Morton as passenger. It is an entirely new type of ’plane to Te Kuiti. The pilot and passenger seats are side by side; it is a more friendly idea for long flights and for instructional puroses it is a convenient arrangement as a pupil can watch the movements of the instructor throughout. The “Red-Wing” encountered, a heavy head wind all the way from Auckland, and took, in consequence, It hours to reach Te Kuiti. The “Red-Wing” is owned by a firm in Hokitika and is paying a round of friendly visits to various Aero Clubs in the North Island. The Te Kuiti Aero Club pupils turned out _in strength to welcome the visiting ’plane. _____