FUTURE OF AERO CLUBS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 30 November 1945, Page 3

FUTURE OF AERO CLUBS

USE OF RECONDITIONED PLANES (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington, Nov., 29. “I have been waiting until this Bill is passed to see what provision can be made for aero clubs,” said the Minister in Charge of Civil Aviation (Mr Jones) in the House of Representatives when he was opening the second reading debate on the New Zealand National Airways Bill. The Minister was asked about the future of aero clubs by Mr M. H. Oram (National, Manawatu). The Minister said that previously the aero clubs had done splendid work in the training of a special reserve of pilots, of whom there had been at the outbreak of the war about 500, the majority oi whom had gone into the Air Force. The clubs had been given a subsidy for the training of pilots, but the question to-day was not the training of pilots, of whom thousands were available. It was necessary to look into the question of how future person, nel would be trained and by whom. The Minister said he had arranged for some of the aircraft which would be made available to aero clubs to be reconditioned. It was a question of whether they would prefer to have the aircraft c.s they were or whether they would rather that they be reconditioned first. Most of the clubs had sold their machines to the Government and had put the money into Government stock, so that they had money available, for the purchase of other aircraft. It appeared to him to be just a matter of reconditioning the aircraft and fixing a fair price for them so that the clubs would be able to carry on, at any rate, their flying. The Government could allow them a certain quantity of fueh He thought an early decision could be made once the Bill was passed and as soon as aircraft were ready. Mr Oram: The Tiger Moths are ready. The Minister: No they are not. T' think there are about eight or nine that have been reconditioned. It is just a question of which clubs are going to get them. Mr Oram suggested that the club* might be allowed to draw for the machines. The Minister said that the club*" would need 60 or 70 aircraft. To th« extent that any firm could recondition aircraft so that the clubs could resume flying activities he would be only too pleased to assist them. Mr Oram: Some clubs have got theii own planes. The Minister: I cannot tell you what the clubs have got, but they could soon resume. I should say, once they are licensed to operate. Mr Oram: Why should this Bill hold up the issue of licenses? The Minister replied that he thought the member for Manawatu must realise that when there was a Bill dealing with the licensing of various services and making provision for flying the proper | course was to wait until the Bill came down to see' in what way aero clubs could be fitted in in regard to civil aviation.