YEAR OF FLYING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 687, 12 June 1929, Page 16

YEAR OF FLYING

AERO CLUB ISSUES FIRST ANNUAL REPORT GROWTH OF MEMBERSHIP A highly satisfactory flying and financial record is revealed in the report of the Auckland Aero Club for the year ended April 30 last, to be submitted at the first annual meeting on June 27. At the end of the year there was an accumulated fund of £2,215 and a total membership of 409, of which 64 were pupils and 16 qualified pilots. Favoured with such a good year, the club is now iu a position to devote attention to social activities, such as the establishment of a club-house and tennis courts. To encourage crosscountry flying, the committee had invited suggestions from various local bodies in the district for a chain of landing-grounds. There had been a good response from these invitations, but inspections would be made by qualified pilots before any recommendations were forwarded to the director of aviation. FLYING TIME Although no flying was done until February 17 last, 19S hours 20 minutes had been completed in the air. This included 86 hours 50 minutes in the dual instruction of 22 pupils. A total of 245 passengers had been carried for an aggregate of 71 hours. There had been no minor mishaps, and expenses had been confined to maintenance of the machines. The balance-sheet shows assets valued at £2,902, inclusive of £416 in the bank and £614 on deposit. The hangar is valued at £455, and the ! Moth donated to the club by |an Auckland firm at £797, after | writing off £67 for depreciation. | Since the Government Moths are on loan they do not appear as an j asset. On the debit side, however, j £124 is placed in a reserve fund for j their depreciation. The other items lon this side are: Accumulated fund, j £2,215; Southern Cross Plane Dona- | tion Fund, £136: pupils’ entrance fees j reserve, £186; sundry creditors, £189; and subscriptions in advance, £SO. ! A credit balance of £545 is shown in the income and expenditure account for the flying section. The principle source of income was the aerial pageant held on April 20, which yielded a j sum of £461. Dual instruction fees I produced £275, and subscriptions from ! pilots and pupils, £262. A total of | £l5B was collected from paying pasi sengers. The greatest expense was I £384 for wages. Petrol cost £SO, and j improvements to the airdrome £42. ! The general income and expendii lure account shows receipts amounting to £2,633, inclusive of the credit balance of £545 transferred from the flying section account. Entrance fees ; furnished £445 and associate subscrip- | tions £320.