The Aviation World.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21112, 20 February 1932, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Aviation World.

BY AILERON.

AERIAL JOY-RIDING.

The modern trend has its influence over practically all recent discoveries at the present time, and aviation is least of all exempt from its influence. Even in these hard times, Mangere aerodrome has been the scene of the arrival and departure of quite a number of interesting new types from which one can gauge the channels along which development is taking place. It was a pleasant surprise, however, to find on a recent visit to tlio aerodrome, one of the old warriors of aviation in the hangar—an Avro 504 K.„ with a 110 horse-power Lo Rhone engine, belonging to Captain L. H. Brake. Captain Brake has been in the northern districts for the last two and a-half months, carrying on the old calling in the aeronautical world of joy-riding. Record Passenger Total. Since joy-riding first started in New Zealand, Captain Brake has been initiating many people into the pleasures of flying, and up to the present time ho has carried more than 55(70 passengex-s. This total, it is believed, is the largest one standing to the credit of any pilot in this country, ire stated that joy-riding was at its height in 1921, when tliero were three aOro companies in Canterbury all striving for supremacy in the lucrative trade. If the receipts fell below £SO a day at any one spot, then tin? pilot would immediately pack up and move on to another field! it .was in Oisborne that he staved for two months in that year, and look about £3OOO in hard cash. Ono of the advantages of the trade then, as now, is that flights aro paid for "on the nail," no credit being asked for or given. Later Captain Brake was staying in the Wairarapa, and made plans for a day's joy-riding at Waipukurau by ringing up a friend ono niglit and telling him that he intended to land there early next morning. Having had a cup of tea at Danriovirke en route for the small town, he was able to start off immediately taking up the large crowd which had collected to have'a flight. Both he and his mechanic worked like niggers the whole day, and by sunset had given more than 30 people their baptism of the air. Two passengers at a time were carried, and the gross receipts were in the region of £l6B. A large sum these days. Keen to Fly. People were so willing to go for a fly then, that pilots were a£)t to become blase, and at the end of the day when it was growing dark and only a dozen passengers were left they would not bother with the remainder, but just packed up and flew off, telling them to come along some other time. And they would! The Le Rhone engines require overhauling every 80 hours, and for this purpose Captain Brake's partner has three spare ones of that make, and four Monos-. The petrol consumption of these rotaries is eight gallons an hour, but on every flight two passengers are carried. During the period up north about 1000 passengers were taken up, and the pilot considers that the district has been pretty well combed. Spares for the upkeep and maintenance of the aeroplane are carried bv Captain Brake's partner in a car, which follows the Avro round the countryside. " Nowadays, you have to sell aeroplane trips," stated Captain Brake. "It is not like the good old days when people strove for the privilege of going up." He considered the rotary engine very good for passenger flights, and still used the " blip " switch on the Avro when coming in to land. It is many years since an aeroplane was turned out with such a switch as standard equipment. AUCKLAND AERO CLUB. It has been decided by the committee of the Auckland Aero Club to organise a series of lectures at some convenient meeting place. The lectures will cover all aspects of flying, and will be conducted by well-known authorities oil aviation in Auckland. A bombing competition for the CoryWright Memorial trophy will be held at the Mangere aerodrome in March. The rules and regulations concerning this trophy have been left to the pilot and pupil section of the club, which will be asked to formulate the rules at their next meeting on March 2. The landing competition held at Mang'ore aerodrome on Saturday last, a handicap event, was won by Mr. Stan Andrew. Mr. R. J. Tappenden was second. Arrangements are in hand for the third contest for the Thorne Formation Trophy. It is hoped to hold this event on l 1 ebruary 27. The leaders in this contest are Messrs. G. M. Firth, E. B. Firth and R. Kirk up. Wing-Commander Caldwell will judge this event. A letter was received at the last meeting of the committee from the Hawera Aero Club to the effect that Hawera is holding a Jubilee Week from February 21 to 27, and asking if the Auckland Aero Club would permit some of its machines to take part in the festivities. Two machines are available to make the flighty and should there be more than four applicants a ballot will be conducted in the office of the club to-day. The following pilots have been suggested by the instructor, Flight-Lieutenant D. M. Allan, Messrs. C. M. Rich white, R. Ivirkup, J. Ewington, G. M. Firth. E. B. Firth, A. B. Ranby and J. M. Stevenson. The planes will "be leaving Mangere at. 8 a.m. on Wednesday, February 24, and will return to Auckland leaving Hawera early on Friday, February 26. Notification has been received from the New Plymouth Aero Club to the effect that it is holding an aviation crmp from March 3 to 6. Further det ils will be available to pilots at a later date. OUT OP THE BLUE. Imperial Airways are finding it possible, in the development of their long-distance routes, to introduce considerably lower air fares on the Empire air-lines to India and Central Africa, and many such reduced rates are now operative. The 'aeroplanes used by the Army cooperation squadrons of the Royal Air Force aro two-seater craft, equipped with wireless and an apparatus for picking up messages while in flight. lor some years past the standard Army co-opera-"tion craft has been the Atlas, a biplane of good performance and able to carry a considerable load. More than 100.000 miles flown in two years is the achievement of the first Short Calcutta flying-boat delivered to Imperial Airways for operation of the Mediterranean sections of the air route to the East. The machine, which is to he superseded in the Mediterranean by the larger four-motored Kent boats, is coming off the service for overhaul. One of the most Important legal actions in the world of aviation during tlio past few years, probably, indeed, since Mr. Esnault Pelt eric's claims for compensation for use of the universally employed "joy-stick" or control lever, is now settled. Mr. S. R, Worley, chairman of Messrs. Handley Page, was able to announce recently that a United States firm, against wliom proceedings had been instituted for infringement of tlio Handley Page slotted-wing patents, had agreed to a consent decree of the United States District Court admitting the infringement and acknowledging the validity of the British company's patents.