FLIGHT FROM TRENTHAM.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2047, 6 September 1920, Page 8

FLIGHT FROM TRENTHAM.

THE AVRO RETURNS.

WELCOME TO MB DICKSON,

With the performance to his credit of being the first pilot to fly between the North and South Islands of New Zealand, Mr Euan .Dickson, in tho Avro machine, returned to tho Soekburn airdrorao this morning. Ho carried two bags of mail for the Postal Department, lie left Kaikoura —the last stage of tho return flight from Trentham—at 10 a.m., and landed at Soekburn at 11.55. Tho (lying time for this journey—one hour 55 minutes —equals the time made on the journey to the North Island. On both occasions the flight was against strong head winds, and under cold and wintry conditions. It was at 11.50 a.m. that those on the look-out at the grounds of the Canterbury Aviation Co., Ltd., at Soekbujn, picked up a black dot against a white patch of cloud to tho north-east. Within half a minute Mr D. W. Gray, with Mr George Rhodes as a passenger, had set off to meet Mr Dickson. Within a few minutes, the approaching machine was clearly defined. A moment or two later the welcoming machine circled tho other ere it swooped to tho ground. With Mr Dickson were Messrs J. E. Moore (mechanic) and A. W. Buxton (a passenger). Thev were greeted by the Mayor (Dr H. T. J. Thacker, M.P.j, Messrs H. R. Smith ( Town Clerk), R, D. Kelly (Chief Postmaster), F. C. Hawley (Telegraph Superintendent), J. Collins (chief of the mail staff at the Christchurch Post Ofii/e), the Hon. 11. F. Wigram, M.L.C. (chairman of directors of the Canterbury Aviation Co., Ltd.), Messrs C. H. Hewlett (deputy-ji chairman of the company), A. G. Henderson (chairman of the Canterbury Progress League), P. R. Climie (organiser of tho league), and others. At the call of the Mayor, cheers were given for Messrs Dickson and Moore.

The Mayor extended his congratulations to Messrs Dickson and Moore. He also congratulated Mr Wigram on the work done in establishing the company. In Mr Dickson, the company had a wonderful aviator, with a fmo War record. Mr Dickson had accounted for 18 to 20 enemy machines. He hoped the company would contiuue to mako ''safety first" its motto.

Replying to a reference made by the Mayor" to tho late Mr C. M. Hill," who was Mr Dickson's predecessor, tho Hon. H. F. Wigram said that the initial success of the company was largely due to Mr Hill, who had trained nearly 200 pilots for War service without a serious accident.

Tho Mayor made the suggestion that a marble pillar should bo erected to tho memory of Mr Hill at the intersection of the Soekburn and Yaldhurst Road.

Mr Dickson, in response, said that what appealed to him in connection with the "stunt" was that a victory had been won by the South Island which could not be taken away. LETTERS DELIVERED.

With reference to this, Mr Dickson carried tho following letter from the Deputv-Mavor of Blenheim (Mr V. D. Pike)'to the Mavor of Christchurch (Dr H. T. J. Thacke'r, M.P.):—

Permit me, through the medium of this first air mail between Blenheim anil Christchurch, to send municipal greetings and congratulations to your city upon the fact that such an opportunity Is available, and to express the hope Hint a permanent service of such a nature will he regularly available from day to day in the near future. It is by common consent agreed that the failure of the Government to complete the. Main Trunk line has resulted in the complete Isolation of this province, whilst almost every other portion of the Dominion has benefited by means of intercommunication. Anything which tends to remove that isolation Is, without doubt, a matter which we should encourage. I sincerely hope that work upon the Main Trunk line, will shortly be resumed, and carried on continuously thereafter to completion, and I trust that you will continue to do all that is possible to Impress upon the Government the necessity which urgently exists for the speedy construction of such railway until that object Is an accomplished fact. From the Mayor of Picton (Mr G. J. Riddle) the following letter was received by,Dr Thaeker:— The differences of travel have kept apart two places which should, long ago, have been connected by rail, to the benefit of both. 1 trust that the object-lesson afforded by the easy passing of Captain Dickson's air machine between the centres of Canterbury and Marlborough will serve to emphasise their actual proximity, aud hasten the completion of the line. Mr P. R. Climie, organiser of the Canterbury Progress League, received the following letter from Mr \V. Lawson, chairman of the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce:— Aerial greeting! Captain Dickson is carrying a mail with him on his return to ChHstchurch, via Kaikoura. to-morrow, and I take this opportunity of expressing the hope that, now that the proximity of Christchurch to Blenheim bus been exemplified, Canterbury and Marlborough will, ere long, be brought into closer touch than they have been in the past. The distance, from Blenheim to Christchurch, via Wellington, is n formidable bar to closer relations. Aerial travel for the masses Is, of course, a matter for the distant future, but the completion of the South Island Main Trunk Railway would mean a very great deal to the inhabitants of both provinces, and also the Dominion as a whole.