THE AERO CLUB.

Wairarapa Age, 12 March 1930, Page 5

THE AERO CLUB.

DECISION TO PURCHASE 'PLANE. ALL-METAL GIPSY MOTH SELECTED. INSTRUCTOR TO BE ENGAGED. The Wairarapa Aero Club is ordering its. first ’plane and is about to engage a qualified instructor. It will thus very shortly be in a position to proceed with the training of pilots. The ’plane is an all-metal Gipsy Moth of the latest type, a two-seater with dual control. The machine is of the same type as that in which Chichester made his famous solo flight from England to Australia. Until landing grounds are provided in other parts of the district, the club's first ’plane will be flown Sy Mt exclusively from the Mar. tSJrough aerodrome. ~ , > with an overall length of just under B 4 feet and a wjqg_span of thirty: feet,the Gipsy Moth has a speed in--the air Df about 100 mileages hear and a cruising speed of from 80 to 90 miles per hour. At a trim weed of AO miles per liovr, the raage ef the ’plane varies from three and a quarter to four hours, Mros giving 269 to 380 miles. The tnage can be increased by fitting extra petrol tanks. With an “all-up” weight of 13501 b., the ’plane is capable of reaching an altitude of 18,000 feet, and With a weight of 16501 b a height of feet is attainable. Advantages Claimed for the all-metal ’plane are a lessened danger of fire and facility in ■eplacing damaged parts. In stating yesterday that the Aeroi Club was acquiring a ’plane and would •“°rtly cn £age an instructor, Mr. W. la Free (president) said that the machine meantime would be housed Bad flown from Martin-borough, as there was no facilities in this part -of the district as yet. The list of those Desirous of qualifying as pilots is expected to fill rapidly. AERODROME WANTED DEPUTATION TO MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL. A deputation from the Wairarapa lAero Club which waited on the MastertonCounty Council yesterday stated Chat Dominion Airlines, Ltd., had adtslat they ex Peeted to » . . Masterton in their routes with, E.JT.T and Possibly before X € " d ° f ye"- The deputation Duo stated hat the club was on the Point of purchasing its first aeroplane, »*ich m the meantime would be flown Almost exclusively from Martinborough. ”w T the deputationL ‘ J F S e ’ P resi dent of the ibero Club, and H. A. R. Dunderdale, glven an attentive ""W- and before they withdrew the vomity Council chairman (Mr. J w A “?* the SrtTon reCeiVe the C °“ ea ' S con - Mr. Free said that they now had definite information at their disposal. He Jfuggested that the council should conr fader a scheme put forward some time Bgo under which local bodies in the mea ? B of s P ee ial loans, Would finance the acquisition of a suitable landing ground near Masterton. yearly all the local' bodies were at the Bud of their financial year, so that if the scheme were not to be delayed for another twelve months it should be gone on with now. A delay would Probably mean that Masterton would be left behind, for the engineering derelopment of a landing ground would take the best part of a year, and if a Ptuund were not ready Dominion Airfanes would leave Masterton out of its rentes. The position of the MartinBorough ground, Mr. Free stated, was that the use of the land had been given Tree for a period of five years. A hangar had been built and the license Tees had been paid by the Borough Council. The flying facilities there Were good and when the club’s ’plane arrived it would be flown from that ground almost exclusively. In reply to a question by Mr. FalEoon. Mr. Free said that Dominion Airlines had ordered ’planes for the Gis-borne-Hastings route, a distance which leould be covered by ’plane in an hour Bnd three-quarters. Aeroplanes were Also on order for the Nelson-Wellington tuu- There were ten service cars a day Funning from Masterton to Wellington, ■dr. Free observed, and it was probAble that a fair proportion of these passengers would prefer to save time And travel by air. The natural flying route from Hastings to Wellingeon was Ra the Wairarapa. Mf- Dunderdale observed that in 1528 over 1,500,000 * miles had been ■own in Australia, while in the United States of America, 12,000 miles were flown every night. w After the deputation withdrew, counbillors discussed the question at length, -Mnd eventually decided to consider it When the estimates were being framed.