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Otago Daily Times, Issue 20388, 20 April 1928, Page 6

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR AVIATION. The Otago Aero Club merits sympathy in its desire, expressed to the Minister of Defence by a deputation, to have Government assistance in the direction of securing an aeroplane for training purposes. The increasing activity in flying, which is one of the more striking of present day manifestations, has as yet been only modestly reflected in New Zealand. In this particular part of the Dominion, such a thing as an aeroplane is simply not seen from one year’s end to another. It is to be hoped that the Otago Aero Club will ere long remedy this deficiency. Because of the neglect hitherto, from whatever causes, of the cultivation of the art of flying in Otago, it haa the stronger claim to State assistance now that the Government has decided to lend practical encouragement to such objects as it has in view. In aviation the Government is applying, however, in th© meantime, the rule that to those who have shall* be given. Of tho eight Moth aeroplanes which it has ordered, four are to go to Christchurch and four to' Auckland, because those centres possess proper landing-places, hangars, and equipment. The force of the argument is sufficiently apparent. Provision of the facilities for its effective use must bo regarded as a necessary preliminary to the acquisition of a machine. The Otago Aero Club haa yet to secure a site for a landing-ground, though it it understood to have on e under consideration, and no doubt it will be able to command public support in complying with this and other requirements in such a way as to satisfy the Government that assistance should be accorded by it. Civil aviation should not be confined to one or two portions of the country. There is an aerodrome at Christchurch and a number of machines are stationed there which make flights, but they do not proceed far afield and they always return to their headquarters for housing. Their activities do not result in the acquisition of an experience of flying and landing conditions in other parts of New Zealand, or serve to arouse public interest in aviation beyond a very limited radius. Four of the Moth machines are to go to Auckland, and the same practice will apply there, and tie valuable experience wi 1 ba gained respecting other portions of t' Dominion such as would be of use in any special circumstances that might arise. Training in aviation in two centres will not serve greatly the advancement of the cause of civil aviation in the Dominion. The encouragement of aero clubs is clearly desirable where there is sufficient local enthusiasm to ensure that they will be really useful, and that th - enthusiasm exists in Dunedin and Otago the deputation which interviewed t Minister of Defence was able to demonstrate.