TRAINING AIRCRAFT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23134, 5 September 1938, Page 8

TRAINING AIRCRAFT

FLIGHT TO CHRISTCHURCH MINOR FAULT RECTIFIED SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE [by telegraph—press association] CHRISTCHURCH, Sunday The two Airspeed Oxford aeroplanes, which were assembled at Hobsonville for use at the flying training school at Wigram, arrived at Wigram aerodrome shortly after 4 p.m. to-day. There was a slight delay ait Palmerston North, where the machines landed, because one of them had developed a minor fault in the oiling system. It was found that the trouble had been caused by over-filling the oil tank and after a brief check over, the machines again took the air. No further trouble was experienced. The officers in charge of the machines were "Wing-Commander G. S. Hodson, officer commanding the flying training school at "Wigram, Squadron-Leader E. G. Olson, officer commanding the Hobsonville air base, Flight-Lieutenant R. J. Cohen, "Wigram, and Pilot-Officer L. A. Robertson, Hobsonville. Mr. AY. F. Locke, engineer for Airspeed (1934), Limited, was a passenger in one of the machines. Wing-Connnander Hodson said he was very satisfied with the performance of the machines. The actual flying time was four hours from Auckland, the distance being about 560 miles. For the greater part of the journey an average speed of 160 to 170 miles an hour was maintained.

The arrival of these aeroplanes at Christchurch marks' the beginning of a new phase in the training of pilots in the l?oyal New Zealand Air Force. This will be the first time that twin-engined machines have been used for training in New Zealand. Three more aeroplanes of a similar type will ba assembled at Hobsouville for use at Wigram.