LIGHT AEROPLANES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19342, 1 June 1926, Page 12

LIGHT AEROPLANES.

TRANSPORT OF THE FUTURE. THEIR USE IN AUSTRALIA. [FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] , • ' ' SYDNEY, May 21. The challenge of the light aeroplane as a means of transport of the future has been definitely made iri Australia. Its use is now being much canvassed, and the Federal Government has given encouragement by subsidising aeroplane clubs, which will teach tho civilian population to fly, and also by making available for training purposes a number of "Moth" aeroplanes, made by the De Haviland company. The Royal Aero Club of New South Wales has already invited civilians to undergo training courses, the fee being about £SO.

The civil aviation authorities believe that the light aeroplane will solve many of Australia's transport problems, especially those of the outback squatter and farmer, just as taxi-cabs solve the transport problems in many large cities. There is no more enthusiastic supporter of the light aeroplane than Colonel C. H. Brinsmead, director of civil aviation, and recently he gave an address to the first Australian transport conference, which was being held in conjunction with the International Motor Show in Melbourne. The address was immediately recognised as be/a-j of national and far-reaching importance. One of those who heard it was Major de Haviland, a member of the famous aviation firm, one of whose objects in visiting Australia is the establishment of a factory for the building of " Moth " aeroplanes. Colonel Brinsmead convinced his audience that flying was far safer than motoring, if the proper precautions were observed. Australia, he pointed out, was particularly suitable for the development of flying, and young Australians had a genius for it. He earnestly pleaded for the appearance of some wealthy and influential Australian who would do for the Commonwealth in aviation what Henry Ford had done for the United States, not only with the motor-car, but also with the light aeroplane. Colonel Brinsmead stated that in four years of organised commercial flying in Australia no passenger who had paid for his seat had been killed or seriously injured, though considerably more than 1.000.000 miles had been flown.

To illustrate the importance, pf flying to Australia, Colonel Brinsmead said that aeroplanes, motor-cars and wireless had changed the whole aspect of outback life. Flying had become commonplace with the people of the wilderness, who had *ost their air-nervousness with which so many city people-were afflicted. He said that one West Australian doctor\had made 30 air journeys in the last two years to patients. He mentioned the case of a grazier of Longreach, Queensland, who hired a 'plane for a day, and between that town and Xormantown, inspected 100,000 acres of pastoral land; he signed a lease for it the same day. At his request, it is asserted, the pilot flew a few feet from the ground, and he was able to observe even the appearance of the seed in the grass.