THE H.B. TRIBUNE MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1930 AERIAL TRANSPORT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 94, 7 April 1930, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1930 AERIAL TRANSPORT

The pageant that was staged at Hastings on Saturday last by the Hawke's Bay and East Coast Aero Club should go a long way towards educating the local community in the possibilities of aerial services, both in peace and in war time. In every way the demonstrations afforded were complete successes, and the whole lengthy and varied programme was carried through without being blemished by mishap of any kind. This speaks well for the efficiency, within their limits, of the machines that were in use, and also for the capacity and carefulness of those who were in charge of them. Considering that the club’s district does not embrace any really big centre of population, the response of the public in the way of attendance was particularly good, and it is gratifying to know that the financial outcome will be a substantial addition to the Club’s revenue resources, while the onlookers certainly got a fine return for their money. It is not, however, as a mere spectacle providing an afternoon's entertainment that the display should be regarded. There is a much more serious purpose behind it, and that is to impress upon the people of the district, and of the country at large, the potentialities of aerial transport. We have yet to see in the Dominion any of the really commodious passengercarrying machines that are now in constant operation in many other parts of the world. Even with our nearest neighbours, those of the Commonwealth, aeroplane passenger services have come to be a part of their daily life, of which an ever increasing number of the people are availing themselves. We here have not got the big distances to cover that are to be found in the island continent. Still, if we have no very great breadth, we have a very considerable length that can provide quite respectable journeys, while it would be a very distinct advantage even to have means of rapid communication from coast to coast along routes as yet impracticable for wheeled traffic. There is thus every good reason why the people of the country, and its Government also should extend all possible encouragement to those who have under taken the task of pioneering the development of the “air sense’ among us. With but scanty funds at command they have been doing

the community yeomen’s service in the way of imparting some idea of the possibilities to be attained with bigger resources made available. It is quite time that some more widely spread practical interest should be shown in their undertaking and assistance forthcoming to enable them to extend their good work, for we must certainly be much behind the times until we make aerial transport part of our economic system. So far as local encouragement is concerned the Mayor of Hastings struck the right line when he stressed as a matter of the first importance the early securing of an adequate and convenient site for a commercial aerodrome. With the rapid tendency towards subdivision that is now in evidence, there are not a great many areas within easy distance of the town that can be regarded entirely suitable, so that it behoves those anxious to help the move-, ment forward to set about organising finance in order to get hold of one of them. The Cabinet Minister who was on the ground was not prepared to commit himself on behalf of the Government in the way of promising money help. But it could scarcely be that, were some definite steps taken, the Government would prove other than practically sympathetic. Having in view the fact that an aerial force would probably furnish us with the most economical and effective means of defence, the duty most certainly lies upon those in authority to do everything in their power to promote the training of airmen of all classes Strong as may be our hopes that war has been thrust into the far distance, the need for being prepared must not be entirely overlooked, especially when it can not easily be made to work in with the institution of a valuable peacetime service.