THE FLYING SCHOOL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17311, 28 October 1916, Page 9

THE FLYING SCHOOL.

—♦ PREPARATIONS AT SOCKBURN. AVIATION COMPANY'S WORK. The directors of the Canterbury Aviation Company are arranging to begin almost at once the work of preparing the ground on the property purchased for a flying school close to Canterbury Park, Sockburn. Most of the ground is dry, level, pasture land, and will r&r quire little work to make it quite suitable, but in the area of 106 acres there are about twelve acres that have been ploughed for potatoes. The first step, probably, will be to remove four fences which intersect the area, in order to make one large paddock. These fences are of gorse. As usual, the earth has been banked up about the roots of the plants. The gorse will have to be dug out and the banks levelled down, but this is a simple work, which will not interfere with the progress of the scheme. Only about 800yds of extra tramline will be required to bring cars to the ground. Another early step will be the erection of the hangars and of a repairing shop. These will bo close to the road. Accommodation for pupils, also, must be taken in hand soon. There is a seven-roomed cottage, on the property. It, probably, will be used for tho officer in charge "and' his staff, or perhaps for the cooking-house, in which it is proposed pupils should mako their own mess arrangements. A suggestion has been made that a motor-cycle track should be constructed on the company's property and the property of the Plumpton Park Company. When this was mentioned to the Hon H. F. Wigram, chairman of directors of the Aviation Company, last night, he said that he had considered the proposal, hut the company's principal object was to train aviators for warfare, and that was the aim at present. At the same time, with the company's area of 106 acres and tho Plumpton'Park's area of sixty acres, all close to the tramline, there would be an exceptionally suitable sports ground for the city, and later on, possibly, something might bo done in the way of putting down a motor-cycle track. Mr Wigram expressed satisfaction at Sir Joseph Ward's statement in London, reported in tho cable messages yesterday afternoon, that one of the lessons which tho war should teach is that an air fleet is absolutely necessary, and that the overseas dominions can play their part by training aviators. It was just that work, Mr Wigram said, which the Aviation Company had undertaken.