AIR NAVIGATION

Southland Times, Issue 22450, 10 December 1934, Page 7

AIR NAVIGATION

UNREGISTERED PLANE. ACT INVOKED FOR FIRST TIME. TASMAN FLYERS CONVICTED. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, December 8. Raymond Galbraith Whitehead and Ernest Rex Nicholl, who flew the Tasman on November 22, appeared in the Police Court charged with making the flight from Houhora to Auckland the next day with an unregistered plane without a certificate of airworthiness and without carrying the prescribed documents. They pleaded guilty. Inspector Edwards said that the possible penalty was £2OO or six months’ imprisonment. The president of the Aero Club, Mr Spencer Mason, on behalf of the defendants, said that it was an honour for them. The machine had been certified airworthy but the certificate had been cancelled because an extra tank had been installed. The Magistrate commented: “This is the first time the Air Navigation Act has been invoked in any New Zealand court. It is difficult to know what else the defendants could have done when they landed at Houhora. They had to get to Auckland and could not walk.” He thought that justice would be served if he convicted them and ordered them to pay costs on one charge and the other two charges would be withdrawn. “Of course,” he added, “I want it to be understood that it does not follow that if others do the same thing they will get off so lightly.” Inspector Edwards said that the object of the prosecution was to draw attention to the Air Navigation Act. The Magistrate: “It was fortunate that these men got here safely. If they had not, then half the community might have been out searching for weeks.”