FLYING ACTIVITIES

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 263, 9 December 1930, Page 8

FLYING ACTIVITIES

H. B. AND E. C. AERO CLUB. REPORT ON THE YEAR'S WORK. The following report by the president of the Hawke's Bay and East Coast Aero Club (Major-General Sir Andrew Russell) will be presented at the club's annual meeting to be held in Hastings Y.M.C.A. lounge at 8 p.m. next Friday : — "Your committee has pleasure in presenting the second annual report and balance sheet for the year ended October 31, 1930. After writing off depreciation on the club's own machines to the extent of £370, there is a surplus on the year's working of £121 5s 10d, which has been carried forward to the credit of the club's accumulated funds account, which now totals £680 14s 10d. "During the year, following on the recommendation made by members at the last annual meeting, the club's name was changed from Hawke's Bay Aero Club to Hawke's Bay and East Coast Aero Club in order to indicate the wider scope of its operations. "As will be seen by the balance sheet the flying activities of the club during the past year have been well maintained, the total revenue received in this direction being £2243 0s 11d as compared with £1599. 11s 1d for the first year. Thirteen members of the club qualified for their "A" licenses during the year, and the committee extend to these pilots their hearty congratulations on their success. The comments by the Director of Air Forces on the standard of club flying have been most favourable. It is particularIy gratifying to learn that one of the club's first pupils, Mr G. G. Stead, is making exceptionally rapid progress in the Royal Air Force. The total number of members who have obtained their "A" licenses is now 24. Details of the year's flying are as under: Dual instruction 410hr 35min, solos instruction 110hr 40min, "A" pilots' solo flying 174hr 20 min,. passengers 59hr 30 min, tests of machines 8hr 25min, tests of pilots 71hr 30min, miscellaneous nonrevenue flying on club business 17hr 45min, total 778hr 45min. "The membership of the club consists of 111 flying members and 65 associate members, showing an increase of 39 flying members and a decrease of 8 associate members as compared with the previous year's figuures. "On 5th April the club held a very successful pageant at the Longlands aerodrome, which was attended by the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister for Defence, the Hon. J. G. Coates, patron of the club, General Young, commanding the New Zealand Defence Forces, Wing-Commander S. Grant Dalton, and other distinguished visitors. With the assistance of the Government machines and visiting 'planes from other clubs a total of 20 machines participated, and, favoured with fine weather, the Pageant was an unqualified success. The net financial result to the club was a profit of £330 16s 9d. The Newbigin Cup for the blue ribbon race was annexed by Flying-Officer Olson, now pilot instructor to the Otago Aero Club. "One of the club's 'A' pilots, Mr D. Newbigin, attended the Auckland aero pageant, competing for the Herald trophy, which he won, being thus entitled to hold the trophy for the year, and bringing prize money to the value of £25 into the club funds. "During the year your executive has been called upon to deal with a great deal of work, and has held 20 meetings. The finance committee has been faced with a number of difficult problems, and the grounds committee has had no easy task in furnishing the increased accommodation which the club's activities now require. In spite of these difficulties, however, the club has had a successful year, and is on a sound basis. As members are aware, a considerable expense had to be incurred in replacing the new hangar which was demolished towards the end of the year as a result of a severe southerly. Steps will be taken, as soon as funds permit, to have the hangars hard-surfaced to allay the dust nuisance. "The committee records with much regret the death of Sir. Geo. Hunter, M.P., a vice-president of the club, and Dr. Johnston, a member of the club since its inception. "The executive extend to Captain White their appreciation of his energy during the past year, and their sympathy with him in the injury he sustained to his hand. Flying-Officer W. H. Lett has now been appointed pilot instructor to the club, and it is hoped that with the improving weather conditions, flying operations, which have been somewhat spasmodic during the past two months, will be resumed throughout the district. "Negotiations are now in hand, and are almost complete, for flying operations to be commenced from a ground adjacent to Napier, and it is believed that the club membership will be considerably enhanced thereby. Matters in this direction have been dormant for some time, but a distinct forward move has now been made by the acquisition of a ground which can be made suitable, and by the co-operation of a number of Napier enthusiasts. "The club hopes to receive its third machine on loan from the Government early next year, which will provide additional flying equipment to assist in its work. "The committee wishes to express its gratitude to the Director of Air Services, Wing-Commander S. GrantDalton, for his continued support and for the interest he has always manifested in the club ; to a number of generous supporters, who have assisted the club with donations ; to the Auckland, Wellington, Marlborough, New Plymouth and Canterbury Clubs, and to the New Zealand Government for their welcome co-operation in bringing the club's pageant to a sucessful issue ; to the debenture holders who agreed to allow redemption of their debentures to stand over for a furtber year, and to the local press for the generous space they have allotted to the club's activities during the year. "It is with the greatest regret we have to record the resignation from the executive for business reasons of Mr G. A. Maddison, who has acted as chairman of the executive for the past year, and who has been connected with the management of the club since its inception. Your executive desire to place on record their sincere appreciation of the services rendered by Mr Maddison to the club during his period as chairman of the executive. "You will be called upon to consider, and if approved, adopt the amendments to the club rules and bylaws as recommended by the sub-com-mittee of the executive set up for the purpose of revising and bring the rules up-to-date, as referred to on the agenda paper." The chief items of expenditure were: Wages and pilots' flying timo, £1160; repairs and maintenance, £894; benine and oils, £570; depreciation on Moth aeroplane £70; depreciation on Sparton, £300. The Moth is now valued at £100 and the Spartan at £500. Members subseriptions totalled £889 8s, and there was a Government subsidy of £500 for training pilots.