Year of Progress

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 279, 28 December 1929, Page 6

Year of Progress

CONQUERING THE AIR H.B. Keeps Abreast Of Developments THE YEAR SURVEYED.

By many people qualified to speak with some authority on the question, the year now closing has been the most important there has been in the development of aviation throughout the world. Qualified experts say that there were four great aerial achievements during the past year, each marking a big step forward in the development of aviation. Early in the year English service planes made wonderful rescues of women and children from Kabul saving scores of refugees from death by wonderful flights over the stormswept mountain heights of north-west India, landing their passengers with a safety and punctuality worthy of the best regulated railway service. Another noteworthy achievement was the non-stop flight of two young service officers from England to India — London to Karachi in 48 hours. Sir John Salmond, the well-known aviation authority, once expressed the opinion that this was the outstanding achievement of the year. He said that if the Kabul rescues were an example of the possibilities of air travel, the non-stop flight was a striking illustration of the endurance of the modern aeroplane. Two other noteworthy developments must be chronicled for 1929. Within a few months the Schneider Cup team were flying at six miles a minute and showing to the world the possibility of speeds that, a few years ago, would have been deemed fantastically impossible. And now, in the last few days we have seen R101, the greatest and most up-to-date airship ever built, passing steadily and quietly over the country like some giant silver fish of the air. The Schneider Cup machines taught the lesson of speed. The lesson of the airship is that long distance travel should no longer be a problem of interimperial communication, for airships can fly steadily day and night in calm or storm and carry heavy loads of either passengers or freight. DEVELOPMENT IN NEW ZEALAND New Zealand can claim to have advanced more rapidly during the past year than in any other aviational year in its history. Following the personal interest displayed during his term as Minister of Defence. by the Hon. T. M Wilford, the Government commenced to take an increasingly practical interest in aerial development. During the year the personnel of the permanent flying force has been strengthened, while two seaplanes have been imported by the Government. In addition to its aerodrome at Sockburn, Christchurch, the Government is now constructing a seaplane base at Hobsonville, Auckland, and has for some time been investigating with a view to establishing another base in some other part of the country. The Government has also introduced legislation making it competent for local bodies to financially assist aero clubs and is itself subsidising these bodies in their work, The growth of the aero club movement has been noteworthy right through the year, while a number of commercial aviation companies have been established in different parts of the country, and are in various stages of activity. Toward the end of the year one of these companies, with headquarters in Auckland, suffered a severe blow in the fatal crash of a seaplane in the Auckland harbour, resulting in the unfortunate death of the pilot and the engineer. This is the first aviational fatality in New Zealand for three and a-half years and only the ninth in the history of the country. Some fear was expressed that the mishap might have some prejudicial effect upon the advancement of aviation, but this is not the view of devotees of flying, who point out that fatal motor accidents have had no effect in diminishing the popularity of the motor car. The opinion of enthusiasts is that aviation will continue to progress in New Zealand, with both aero clubs and aviation companies becoming more numerous and more successful.

PROCRESS IN HAWKE'S BAY. Hawke's Bay has perhaps played as large a part as any province in aviation progress in New Zealand this year, the progressive Hawke's Bay Aero Club having made great strides. The club has its headquarters at Longlands, near Hastings, and now owns two two-seater planes, while arrangements are now being made for the securing of a third. Captain T. White is the official pilotinstructor of the club, but its activities have so broadened of recent months that the appointment of a second officer has been necessary, Lieut. E. G. Olsen being engaged. Captain White gives instructional flying to the club pupils and in October a batch of 14 pupils trained by him secured their flying tickets, amongst them being Mrs W. Richmond, of Hastings, who thus joined Miss Aroha Clifford, of Christchurch, and Miss P. Bennett, of Blenheim, as the only aviatrices in the Dominion. Instruction is now in full swing on a second batch of pupils, who are expected to be tested in March. Captain White spent much time up aloft during the year, and made a number of notable cross-country flights, including a Dominion tour early in November, places visited being Auckland, Waipiro Bay, Gisborne, Wairoa, Fielding, Rata, Wanganui, Eltham, New Plymouth, Waverley, Dannevirke, Martinborough, Wellington, Mangahao, Palmerston North, Blenheim, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The club also held a highly successful pageant in April and plans to hold another in April next. Training has been commenced in Gisborne and Dannevirke, where the club has affiliated branches, and the coming year is exnected to be an even bigger one than last.

NAPIER'S POSITION. So far as Napier is concerned not a great deal of appreciable progress has been made toward securing the establishment of a flying club, but much of the spade work preparatory to that ideal has been done. A handful of enthusiasts are working hard to secure permission from the Government to establish at least some means of training young fellows who desire to take on flying and WingCommander Grant-Dalton, Director of Aviation, has promised to visit Napier next month to go into the matter of granting a temporary ground license so that Napier or Hastings owned planes can operate from a flying ground in Napier. At one time it was suggested that

Napier would be the site of the other flying base for which the Government is searching and the Minister of Defence visited Napier with Major Isitt to inspect the lagoon at Westshore as to its suitability for the purpose. It is understood, however, that the officials are of the opinion that there is not sufficient depth of water in the lagoon for the landing of seaplanes and flying boats. Other avenues of aviation in Napier are not in the meantime being neglected. A number of enthusiasts, with the idea of encouraging boys to take an interest in aviation, have developed a keen model aeroplane club and some very creditable models have been made by the youthful craftsmen. Captain. George Bolt, an aviator who has a more than passing acquaintance with Hawke's Bay, has donated a prize for the first boy to make a 'plane to his specifications to fly 100 yards. The science of glider flying is also engaging the attention of a number of enthusiasts, who are in communication with some of the leading clubs in Germany, where this form of engineless flying has been developed to a fine art following peace treaty restrictions on the number of power 'planes the Germans can build per year. It is stated to be not outside the bounds of possibility that a glider club will be established in Napier and the sight of the soaring planes gliding over the surrounding country may, at some future date, be no uncommon one.