AEROPLANES AT WAIHI BEACH

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXIV, Issue 8847, 26 November 1935, Page 2

AEROPLANES AT WAIHI BEACH

- FLIGHTS TO BE BANNED ON NEW YEAR’S DAY DANGER TO PUBLIC Writing to the Borough Council at its monthly meeting last week on behalf of the Waihi Beach Sports Committee, the secretary of that body, Mr A. H. Blackmore, stated that at the annual general meeting it had been decided to ask the council to approach the necessary authorities with a view to prohibiting aeroplanes from landing on the beach for commercial flights on NewYear’s Day. A letter was also received from Mr S. G. Blackmore, of Rotorua, asking permission to use a portion of the beach, five chains south of the Waihi stream, as a landing ground for his aeroplane during the coming summer months.

Cr. J. J. Callaghan drew attention to incidents of low flying indulged in on occasions at the beach by Mr Blackmore, thus creating a source of danger when there wa§ $ crowd on the sands. New Year’s Day, he said, was the one day in the year wdien, besides adults, there were many hundreds of children on the sands. Cr. J. Mitchell said he would like to see the matter discussed a little more before making a decision. While he wished to be loyal to his committee he hesitated to prohibit a mail, who was earning his'living by flying, oven for ope day. |t was, hp felt, a very difficult matter to decide, The Mayor, Mr W. ,M. Wallnutt, expressed the opinion that as there was invariably a large crowd on the beach on New Year’s Day there was always an element of danger in the process of aeroplane landings and taking offs. Mr Blackmore had all the year in which to carry on and he did not think the exclusion of flying for one day w-ould be a handicap to the airman.

Cr. Pollock then moved that the council should offer no objection to Mr Blackmore using the beach as a landing ground and should recommend that the civil aviation authorities grant a permit subject to Its not permitting a landing there on New Year’s day. This was secoPfied by Cr. Butcher and carried.