WINGS OVER HASTINGS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 94, 7 May 1937, Page 52 (Supplement)

WINGS OVER HASTINGS

Development of the Aero Club

^/^LTHOUGH occaeionally visited by aeroplanes, Hastings did nofc in any way develop " airmindedness " until the Hawke's Bay and East Coast Aero Club was established in 1928. Before this the sound of an aeroplane brought people hurrying into the street, although Teturned soldiers showed a disdainful indifference. They had seon squadrons of aeroplanes fighting in the air and had listened in billets to the dread drone of night bombers. To civilians, however, the appearance of an aeroplane was a comparatively rare sight. Before the war large crowds of Hastings people visited Napier " on one cccasion to see a seaplane ' that was giving demonstrations near the 'BreaM water. Later ""Wizard" Stone made some shorf flights in Hastings. After the war one of tho pioneers of commercial aviation cn New Zealand, Captain. Eussell, spent some time here and enaeavoured to promote a .company to engage in aerial taxi work. Many people took advantage of his offer to give "joy-rides" at a comparatively reasonable price. After some time inHastings Captain Eussell went on to New Plymoufh, where his machino crashed before a large crowd, killing him and his passengors, the Mayor of New Plymouth and his daughter. In the following years there were other aerial visitors, and some of the vounger men of the distriet moved to have an aero club formed. Tho X-rescnce here of men who had served as war pilots stimulated the movement, and eventually, dn 1928, the Hawke's Bay and East Coast -Aero > Club was started on its ' career of usefulness. Mr/G. A. Maddison "was the first president of the club, and be was succeeded by Mr T. Q'Dowd, who held

offi.ee for four years. Tho -present president, Mr P. Barlcer, was one of the first pupils. Sir Andrew Eussell was prominent in the establishment of the ^;lub, and Mr G. M. Spenee, too, inust be linked with its progress, for as president of the New Zealand Aero Club he worked unstintingly dn the interests of club aviation right. throughout New Zealand at a period that w^s complicated by depression and . strained resources. The entliusiasm of the early members was encouraged by a eontribution of £250 which enabled the purchase of a second machine, ZK-AAY; but tho club had only 77 hours ' flying from tlie plane before it was. written olf. The effort to pay off the 'remainder of the ourchase money imposed a severe strain on the club finances, but liard work, and rigid management tided the organisation over the crisis, In 1930 the club received two Govern- , rrient-loaned machlnos, which. with old AAB, -made it a fully-equipped club, able to cope . with and traiu pupils an.-rious to learn to ily. tTntil the earthquake the club managed to make good progress, but the combined offect of earthquake aud depression reduced the finances to a low ebb onee more. Once again stcady management and the • efforts of the committee Toslorcd tho finances, and the long looked-for aid, in the form of a third share in an arfc union, enabled the club to purchiiso another Moth, acquire and level the

Brblge Pa 'drome at Hastings, erecl the clubhouse and buy hangar ' eqiiip* ment. r Finance — the club . derive© itt revenue solely from membership sub-i scriptions and tuition fees,' thongh th# Borough Cfouneil gave £400, with which.' improvements were effected, — has beeitt easiier since then. The. club's priuoipal concern has . been- to main tain ,'it* limited reserve iu spite of the flying, losees to which all aero clubs are sub* jecf. Five maehines have been lost to the club. AY, CY and BC were so severely damaged that they had to be written olf. and BY and the De Soutter montH plane were written off as obsolesceht^ At present the club . has three Moths, Iwo its Own. property.and the other on loan from the Gbvernment. . Housed iir '• the Eangar andvserviiced at Bridgo Pa i are the Gipsy Moth in which Flights Lieutenant S. G. . White flew from England to Australia in 1034, and Ihe New Zealand . Aerial. Mapping Com-i-pany'e new Monospar, the machine which is conducting aerial survey^ througliout New Zealand. So far 88 pilots -have been' |mf ' through their A licence .tests, and of them eight have obtained appointmente to the Eoyal Air Force" in. England^ Of the total number trained, 36 have obtained their endorsements to . cariy passengers, These pilots v have been dr awn from all parts ofl Ha wke *a ■ Bay . and the Eaet Coast, from Tolaga Bay; in the north to Takapau in the south, the club's- allotfed territbry covering Ihe a'rca . between : East Cape an4 Porangahau and being bounded in th^ west by* tho ffiain range ' rur^ning through the East Coast area. Th«f club 's planes fly daily at Hastinge and Napier, the centre of the club's activities.

Since its establishment the club bas had five instructors. Squadron-Leadeit • T. W. White, now with East Coas# Airways, was the* first, and he wai succeeded by ' Flight-Lieuceuant Harrjj Lett, now assistant-instruetor. to, that Auckland Aero Club, Flight-Lieutenanti A. G. Gerrand, now with Union Airt ways, .Flight-Lieutenant I. E. Eawnsley,, now instruetor to the Wellington Aer| Club, and Mr E. F. Harvie, - who 'eamtf from the' Manawatu Aero Club. - Ml} Harvie is the present mstructor; * | Only two tragedies have marred thf history of the club. In 1934 Mr H. C, Curlett, a meniber of the -club, ferashed at the Napier - aerodrome and Was killcd, and-in July of 1935 Mr HamisH Armstro'ug, a trainee of the.clubj flying in his own machine, crashed over ths Euahines and was lost. .. ... ? Some notable aerial pageants havfl been held at the Bridge Pa aerodromS| on oue occasion more than 40 aero*' planes partieipating. The ciub has also. entertained all the distinguished aviators who have visited Ncw Zealand Among these are numbered the "late -Sir Chat'lcs Kingsford-Smith, the late ;Mt C. P. .Uim, and hliss Jean Ba'tteu. ;