Fledqlinqs in Flight

Cue (NZERS), Issue 17, 15 February 1945, Page 5

Fledqlinqs in Flight

THE New Zealander has taken to the air as the Elizabethan Englishman took to the sea. In many ways, he has been as adventurous and enterprising as his 16th Century forbears. He has played his part, too, in the defeat of an Armada —the Luftwaffe in its attempts to win the Battle of Britain.

The story of aviation in New Zealand goes back a surprisinglylong way to the Dominion’s participation in the , ” Balloon Age ” at the close of the last century. It was in 1890 that the first ascent was made in New Zealand. This honour fell to ’’Professor” Jack- • son who made an ascent from Lancaster Park, Christchurch. Others followed, many of them being amateurs. Their efforts were not always appreciated, and one farmer, with his shotgun, nearly became the Dominion’s first Ack-Ack gunner. Ballooning, however, gained in popularity, and Beebe’s Balloon Company performed at-the Auckland Exhibition, complete with parachutists descending in -spectacular leaps. News of flying-machines overseas caught the imagination of many New Zealanders. It inspired Bertram Ogilvie of Napier, to experiment- in aviation. With a band of enthusiasts, he constructed three machines, but unfortunately none of them was successful. On the other hand, he was the first to ink of the idea of wing flaps, and ent for a twist of fortune might have een a leading figure in the air world, as 0 a y ailerons are in common use. St- rthur Schaef was the first to fly in f_ eW Zealand, his ’’Vogel” taking off rom the sands of Lyall Bay and remainTh' m the . ar for a brief space of time. as machine was really scarcely more an a super-kite, the engine playing

little part. He built a second machine, and, as cyclists had proved troublesome on the "runway,” he first tried it out as an amphibianbut without success. Later, as a land plane, it made quite successful short flights. . ■ ' In the meantime in Auckland two brothers, destined to play a leading part in New Zealand aviation, had ordered a Farman biplane from England. They were- the Walsh brothers, Leo and Vivian, whose first plane, christened "Manurewa” by Sir Joseph Ward, made a number of sustained flights at Papakura early in 1911. By 1912, New Zealand was beginning to become "air-minded,” and up to the beginning of the last war many attempts at .lengthy flights were made throughout the country. Numerous machines, both imported and locally made, took the air, but many reached only the embryo stage. A Hamilton ’plane imported from America by Hector and Seaforth McKenzie made a number of successful flights in the Marton district, while the Bleriot monoplane, the "Britannia," a present from the Imperial Air Committee, was flown for a while by J. J. Hammond, the first Government pilot. He made several flights at Auckland during the Exhibition. Incidentally, he was discharged for taking for a flight a girl from a visiting theatrical company. The monoplane finished its career giving

sterling service with the Indian troops fighting the Turks. Both Hammond and Seaforth McKenzie lost their lives as pilots in the last war. The first long-distance flights in New Zealand were made in 1914 by J. W. H. Scotland, who flew from Invercargill to Gore in 48 minutes and later from Timaru to Christchurch in a little over two hours. ■. This latter flight was a creditable performance as it was, made in rough weather at heights up to 6000 feet. The outbreak of war put an end to many private ambitions. „ The Government was apathetic towards aviation, and it was left’ to private enterprise to approach the British Government with the suggestion that flying schools should be established in New Zealand. Two such schools were started for the training of pilots in the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. (The Royal Air Force was founded later in the jvar). Pupils paid LIOO to learn to fly, L 75 being refunded on. their graduating as sub-lieutenants. •

First in the field was the New Zealand Flying School started by the Walsh brothers and Dexter. It operated flying boats from the Auckland Harbour. The Canterbury Aviation School, brought into existence by Sir Henry Wigram, whose contribution to flying is com-

memorated by the large, modern Wigrain Aerodrome, commenced the training of pilots in June, 1917. On New Year's Day, 1915, VivianWalsh, the first instructor to teach himself to fly, took off in a flying-boat from Auckland Harbour to inaugurate the Flying School, which had leased the Mission property at Kohimaramara, the old Mission House being its headquarters. J. W. H. Scotland’s machine was purchased and fitted with floats; The locally-made planes proved better than the imported machines, which all had to be reconstructed. Pupils at the school took part in this work, as the training for pilots included engineering and running repairs. The maximum flying range of the training machines was two hours and a half. There were practically no instruments available, and break-downs and forced landings were frequent. ~ But nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of those concerned. - ■ Owing to difficulty in obtaining suitable planes, the Canterbury school did not start training until June, 1917. Even so over a hundred pilots had qualified by the end of a year. When the war finished both schools turned their attention to commercial flying. The British Government offered the various Dominions planes for the establishment of air forces of their own. New Zealand’s allocation was 100 planes, but only 33 of this gift were accepted., Even then the authorities had no idea of how to put them to use. Some were given to established companies, and applications were invited from those interested for the remainder. Of course, the ’’war birds” returning home were interested and various companies were formed, with war-time aviators like Captain Russell, D.F.C., Captain Upham, D.F.C., Captain M. C. McGregor, D.F.C., and Captain Euan Dickson as pilots. Captain Dickson flew Cook Strait for the first time on August 25th, 1921. ’’Bombing” returning troopships was a favourite pastime until a peppery ship’s captain suffered a direct hit wi .J a bag of sweets. After that, ae^J. a welcomes rather, faded away, but r -

Massey om his return from the Peace Conference had his mail delivered in the Hauraki Gulf by plane. - • , On December 16th, the first air-mail in New Zealand was flown from Auckland to Dargaville in a Walsh brothers flying boat. Up until 1924, there were many "barn-storming" tours all over the country, people being taken up for short flights for. considerable fees

and the aviators reaped a rich harvest while the novelty lasted. During 1924, however, company after company wound up,- and, apart from a small band of enthusiasts, public interest in flying was dormant until 1928 when Kingsford Smith and Ulm flew the Tasman.

First to attempt the crossing were Hood and Moncrieff, but their flight . ended in tragedy. The "Southern Cross" /however, arrived safely at Wigram from Sydney on September nth, y 1928, after a trip lasting 14 hours 25 minutes. 'Aviation received a terrific boost, and ; Smithy" and his companions were / idolised. Several other flights across the Tasman were made by the "Southern Cross," an d Vim in "Faith in Australia also crossed a number of times. Others followed, including/the now famous Jean Batten.

The Centenary Air Race from London to Melbourne gave aviation in New Zealand a further impetus, , especially, as there were two New Zealand entries —one piloted by McGregor and Walker and the other by Squadron Leader J. D. Hewitt, with Flying Officer Cyril Kay as navigator and Frank Stewart as radio operator. Squadron Leader Hewitt flew on to New Zealand and. macle the first trip from London to Auckland by air. Later, in 1938, Flying Officer A. E. Clouston in a D. H. Comet made an extremely fast trip from Great Britain to New Zealand &nd back. The total time for the return trip was 10 days 20 hours, 15 minutes. He crossed the Tasman in 7 hrs. 10 mins. • Aero clubs were now springing up all over the country, although the first dated back to 1910. Their planes and the pilots they trained were of great help at the outbreak of this war. Hostilities have necessarily cramped their style, but the prospects are bright, and aviation is certain to make rapid strides after the war. Certainly it will not suffer the setbacks that' followed after the last war. Commercial aviation both internally and externally, with flying boats to Australia and America, is already wellestablished and only waiting the finish of the present struggle to put forward greater efforts than before. Who can doubt, knowing the achievements of New Zealand fliers in the war zones,'that the Dominion will play its part in the development of aviation in the South Pacific and benefit considerably as a result?