WANTED—AN AIRFIELD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 65, 11 August 1947, Page 5

WANTED—AN AIRFIELD

FLYING MAY COMMENCE SOON INSTRUCTOR’S INFORMATION “Can you find a suitable landing strip 600 yards long and 100 yards with with another 400 yards long and the same width at an angle of not less than 60 degrees? If you can you may hope to commence flying at an early date.”

The above was the gist of a statement made to members of the Whakatane Aero and Glider Club by Mr R. Graham, instructor to the Tauranga Aero Club.

Mr Graham went on to say that with a field of this size near Whakatane flying instruction could be given members. Pupils, however, could not be sent solo from such a field.

. Members appeared to favour a temporary strip of the above dimensions on the sandhills site rather than another elsewhere which would have to be worked on and later abandoned. There appeared to be no Objection to a field on which little work would be necessary.

The President appealed to club,, members and the public to make known to the club any field which might be suitable. Likely grounds would be inspected from the ground and from the air.

A motion that the County Council and the Borough Council be written to and asked to use their best endeavours to have the sandhills site secured as early as possible for an aerodrome was carried. Mr Graham asked the Whakatane Club to plan ahead and let Tauranga know what they were going to do as soon as a decision was reached.