STILL IN RECESS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 212, 7 September 1945, Page 4

STILL IN RECESS

WANGANUI AERO CLUB The Government has not announced a policy for resumption of aero club activity in New Zealand, so it is dm; possible to say when the Wanganui club will become active, said the secretary of the Wanganui Aero Club, Mr. S. R. McCallum, yesterday. When the war was declared, the club’s flying field and buildings were taken over by the Public Works Department, and the executive has had no control over the property; it was not known when that control would be regained. Buildings on the Wanganui aerodrome consisted of a hangar, clubhouse, and caretaker’s home, but some months ago the house was destroyed by fire. Little use of the flying field was made by the R.N.Z.A.F., although it was available as an emergency landing ground and was used for that purpose at least twice. At the annual meeting of the Royal New Zealand Aero Club in Wellington, at which Wanganui was represented by the president of the Wanganui Club, Mr. N. R. Bain, the Minister of Defence, Hon. F. Jones, said the Government had not so far given cons’deration to the future of aero clubs.

c was realised that an Air Force v mid be necessary in New Zealand, bat to what extent aero clubs would be embodied in post-war aviation he could not say. Provision to enable clubs to resume some of their former activities would be considered, but he thought it would be a little time before those activities could be resumed on a full scale.