HIGH COST OF AERO CLUB FLYING

Chronicle (Levin), 29 June 1946, Page 4

HIGH COST OF AERO CLUB FLYING

ICARUS."

' Sir, — Many young men 'in Levin and the surrounding district are ( now receiving a demand from the i Levin Aero Club for an initial sub- l scription of £3 3s. I am sure that most of them" will hesitate to pay this until they can see something for their money, They probably know quite well the efforts of the club to obtain the use of the local aerodrome, but while this is in doubt, and while the club is definitely a non-flying' organisation, they cannot be blamed for saving tneir money until they are sure they are going to get something for ft. M'ost of .thefii would not object* at all to the amount asked for, but even if the use of the field is obtained, and an aircraft operated, they will still have to think twice before spending a large proportion of their weekly payroll, for dual 'Or solo fly-^ ing. The president of the Auckland Aero Club said recently, that because of the high cost of club fly;ing, manv young but highly experienced ex-service pilots would lose 1 the chance to maintain the stand- ; ards they had achieved during the ! war. Any, or almost any ex-Air Force !or Fleet Air Arm pilot will know i how keenly they sometimes feel the : urge to get into the air again, m | spite of the faet that many of them i s^ore that they would never look at i another aircraft after the yar. As ! for still younger men who were too

; young for the war, but are very 'keen to learn to fly, they have a • very small hope, unless they are j earning wages high enough to make • it possible, or are prepared to "go broke" every week for the sake of a few, or even one hour's flying. The only solution to the problem, ; if they must fly, is to take up gliding and soaring. The Lufbwaffe would have not been the formidable force it was if Herman Goering hac not been far-sighted enough. tq make gliding a, national pastime for (the German youth. By this means 1 he was able to create a huge pool ' of pilots, who needed only to iearn the use of an engine to become half-trained military pilots. Goering's main purpose was to build ah efficient force for the purposes of waging war. The establishment of gliding and soaring clubs throughout New Zealand would give thous''ands of young men and women, eyen schoolboys" and girls, the opportunity, at very little expense. to experience the joys and thrills of flight. It was proved during the war in England that any self-respecting carpenter, who didn't know an aileron from a rudder bar. could build the necessary parts for gliders used by airborne troops. Many young | men who built model aircraft as a hobby would be quite capable of 'doing the same thing on a larger scale. I am sure that the Horowhenua College would grant them the : opportunity to combine/ night class ' woodwork instruction with the construction of the gliders and sailplanes. I think that it is the duty of the club first, to endeavour in! • some way to reduce the flying rates, or to foster the development of the sport of gliding in this distrjct. Some day they may be acclaimed as i the pioneers of a national move- ' ment. Yours etc..

i Levin, June 28.