AVIATION NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 22499, 8 December 1934, Page 9

AVIATION NOTES

(By

“Contact.”)

Fixtures: Saturday, December 15.—Meeting of pilots at the clubhouse at 14:00 hours Special bombing and landing competitions. Club News.

The proposed visit of club planes to Queenstown at Christmas has been cancelled owing to a suitable landing ground not being available. An alternative proposal for a three-day tour during Christmas week-end has been submitted and this will no doubt be finalized at the pilots’ meeting to-day week.

Club landing and bombing competitions are undergoing slight alterations and are being divided into two sections. This will permit “A” license pilots to take part in a fairly simple flying and landing event, while the competition for the more experienced pilots will be varied and made progressively more difficult. It is hoped that these changes will result in keener competition and the participation of all the recently licensed pilots. Squadron Leader J. L. Findlay flew to Invercargill from Christchurch on Wednesday of last week in the Royal New Zealand Air Force Puss Moth, breaking his journey at Dunedin. During his visit, local trainees were examined for their pilots’ “A” licenses and I have to congratulate F. Wallis (Gore), A. Williamson (Gore), H. Boyle (Heddon Bush) and W. Cameron (Invercargill) upon successfully passing their tests. Twenty-eight Times Scholarship flights were made during the past week and it is understood that the final number of entrants is somewhere in the vicinity of 150. It is hoped to announce the finalists early in the New Year.

Dame Rumour contributes a very interesting item of news, to the effect that a flying scholarship for the fair sex is being sponsored by Invercargill lady enthusiasts who appreciate the need for another local aviatrix. On behalf of other pilots I hope that this good news is true. , Last Saturday afternoon the Fox Moth cabin plane ZK-ADC, piloted by Flying-Officer Gilkison returned from a trip to Pembroke with a passenger, the return journey occupying Ihr. 35min. The three successful nominees for the flying scholarships provided annually by the Southland Sports Trust are this year all pupils of the Southland Boys’ High School. These fortunate youths are Gilbert, Mathieson and Watson, and the two first-mentioned have already commenced training. Trainees J. McMillan, J. Langford, W. Johnston, R. Hyndman and A. Hyndman all continue to make good progress with their dual instruction and should provide two or three “solists” in the near future. There are at present eight active trainees and another two or three are expected to commence training shortly after the New Year, which should result in the club’s earning the maximum Government subsidy for New Zealand Aeio Clubs. It is hoped that all pilots and trainees will make a special point of being present at the aerodrome next Saturday, December 15, not only to attend the pilots’ meeting, but also to take part in the new competitions. The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. when various matters of interest to pilots will be discussed. The Fox Moth cabin plane, piloted by A. N. Patterson, made a lakes’ trip in practically perfect conditions on Saturday afternoon last with three lady passengers. A new associate member in the Rev. Richards also took a short flight with friends in the cabin machine. Only three pilots contested the monthly competition last week-end, the results being as follows:—Pilot W. B. Reekie 50 points, Pilot E. R. Curtis 43 points, Pilot A. Mclntosh 40 points. A feature of the contest was the perfect landing executed by the first-mentioned pilot, who secured the maximum of 15 points for this section. Britain’s Civil Aviation Vote. It is interesting to note how the British civil aviation vote for 1933-34 is compiled and also how it compares with the various sums appropriated under this heading by other world Powers. Amounts are shown at par exchange:— £ Germany 3,834,971 America 1,837,520 France 1,684,033 Italy 790,396 Britain £694,047 Japan and Russia Not available Britain’s civil aviation vote is dissected in the following table. 1933-34. £ Staffing and maintenance of Government civil aerodromes 34,000 Air routes, surveys and experimental services 22,000 Technical equipment 12,000 Works services 24,000 Miscellaneous services 3,000 Headquarters staff 18,047 Meteorological services 13,000 Civil aviation subsidies and grants—(a) Imperial Airways Ltd 548,000 (b) Light aeroplane clubs 20,000 Totals 694,047 Air Travel for Viceroy. His Excellency the Viceroy of India, the Earl of Willingdon, has ordered for his own use in India a four-motor monoplane, which is being built at the Avro works at Manchester to take the place of the Avro Ten in which his Excellency has travelled so much in India. The new machine has four Siadeley Lynx motors. It will have a maximum speed of about 150 m.p.h. and a cruising speed of about 127 m.p.h. and a range of 535 miles. It is being specially fitted to give space and comfort for the Viceroy and his staff on long journeys. Twenty-Fifth Anniversary. On September 8, at Castle Brom\wich, the Midland Aero Club kept its twenty-fifth birthday at an informal garden party and display, followed by a dance in the club-house. The formal celebration of the anniversary is to be a dinner and dance on December 7 at the Grand Hotel, Birmingham, which hotel saw the first social meeting of the club. About 30 aeroplanes arrived, and between 14.00 and 14.30 hrs a Desoutter belonging to the Cotswold Aero Club and flown by Mr Nothway, took the Arrival Award by making the best approach and landing. Two machines rather spoiled their chances by flying wrong circuits. . . The navigation competition drew a lot of entries and was run in two heats. Five minutes before the zero hour the crews were given a. course and two turning points on which to fly; and they were to complete this triangular course at exactly 90 m.p.h. The correct time was 40 minutes and the wind speed and direction was provided by the Birmingham Observatory. The biggest event of the day was the inter-club team relay race. .This was flown by six teams of three machines, which covered a short course of seven miles. The baton for each team had to be handed by each pilot,, after landing and taxi-ing to the finishing line, to the next pilot who went oft round the course and gave it to the third. There was no handicap, as the course was so short and teams were made up of different types of aeroplane. The finish was very close indeed.