NORTHERN TOUR OF AUCKLAND AERO CLUB

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 12, 22 December 1933, Page 8

NORTHERN TOUR OF AUCKLAND AERO CLUB

The Auckland Aero Club has taken steps to provide landing grounds throughout the province, and the nett result of all such efforts has been an immense increase in the airmindedness of the public in the Auckland province. Much of this airmindedness has been centred in Auckland city and the Waikato. The reason for the non-development of the North at the same rate has been the paucity of landing grounds, and the Club has now set out to provide landing grounds by stimulating interest in the-North. To this end a tour of four aeroplanes has been aranged for the holiday season, and the various centres in the Far North at which displays will be staged and passenger carrying undertaken are as follows : Rawene —Saturday, 30th December. Kaitaia (Mr. J. Morrison’s, Pukepoto)—Sunday, 31st December. The Pukepoto Tennis Club will have an afternoon tea stall on the grounds, so that visitors may secure refreshments during the afternoon. Mangonui (Cooper’s Beach) —Monday, Ist January. The Club has been approached with the view of two of the planes being at the Tokerau Beach Sports on New Year’s Day. Kerikeri —Tuesday, 2nd January. Kaikohe—Wednesday, 3rd January. Those people who have visited aerodromes are well familiar with the wind indicator, which is commonlyknown as a “windsock,” and a number of these have been purchased by the Auckland Aero Club and presented to the various places. *■ The personnel of the flight will be as follows : Chief Pilot: FlightLieut. D. M. Allan ; Other Pilots : Flying-Officer I. C. Horton, PilotOfficer R. Kirkup, and Pilot-Officer E. B. Firth. The ground organisation will be carried out by Messrs. C. Lewis, K. Robinson, R. Diggle and D. Wood, while the secretary of the Auckland Aero Club, Mr. L. W. Swan, will act as manager. From the time of the arrival of the planes, passengers will be carried and various display items wiil be staged throughout the day. One of the most popular is that of the car bombing. The aerial duel is also highly exciting and it is confidently expected that the display of aerobatics will thrill the spectators . During the tour the first tests will be carried out for competitors in the “Herald” scholarship. Last Saturday Flight-Lieut. Allan, accompanied by Mr. L. W. Swan, secretary of the Club, and Mrs. Swan, visited the various grounds by plane to make the final arrangements for the tour.