AVIATION MATTERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 224, 16 June 1920, Page 7

AVIATION MATTERS

I'EOPOSED FLIGHT FROM CHRISTCHURCH TO WELLINGTON.

Captain Ewan Dickson, D.S.C. and bar, , and Croix de Guerre, is at present in \Velungton. He is in the employ ii? Canterbury Aviation Company, and ho has come to Wellington with ir ,of the company,. « 1.1 Hewlett, to interview members of the Government on aviation matters. Captain Dickson flew from Christchurch to Invercargill by stages, and he told o Dominion reporter yesteril 7xr ihe II0 ? to ma ' !w a %bt to tho North Island in, the coming spring. During this year Captain Dickson has 1 done a great deal of flying in the South • Island. His experience of aviation dates back to 1916, whoii he left New ZeaCnnd for Britain and secured a .commission in i tho Royal Naval Air Force. ,Subsequent- , ly he had over eighteon months continu- ' ous ftying servico on the West Front. He • got his D.S.C. for making.a voluntary raid on a railway station behind the German lines in very adverse weather, and Later was given a bar for successful' bombing and air fighting just before the,' German push in 191 S. The D.F.C. was Awarded him for blowing up a big Bun, dump on the Somme, and leading hiss formation in attacks upon enemy troops.* in the early stages of the German ad-*, vanco in 1918. The dump contained sixji days' supply of ammunition for tho) German ariuy in that sector. ■ Captain Dickson arrived in New Zealand under engagement to the Canter-; bury Aviation Company at the-end of last year, and was followed by four 110' horse-power Le Rhono Avro areoplnnes,.* which ho had selected in England. Since then lie has done a great deal of flying, mostly in th® form of "joy rides" with ' passengers. His journey to Invercargill and baok occupied 31 days, and involved over 3600 miP.es of flying. He has made numerous cross-country flights from Christchurch. Ho has taken passengers to Akaroa and back, to Ainherley, Fororata, Mendip Hills, and other points. Some of the passengers have been on business trips. Messrs. F. and N. Rutherford were taken cut to the station' at . Mendip HiDs after breakfast and brought.i back to Christehurah fortune for lunch, tho total distance covered being 186 miles. ; Captain Dickson has also flown to Mount l Cook.

Tho flight to the North Island will be made via Kaikoura and Blenheim, a stop being made at each point. From Blenheim Captain Dixon will come aoross the Strait to Wellington. Tho preliminary arrangements required! aro fairly extensive. Tho pilot needs a level space of about ten acres, without surrounding obstructions, at eacli landing-place.