SKILLED PILOT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 38, 8 November 1937, Page 4

SKILLED PILOT

Our Own " Corrcspondent.l

Hawke's Bay Man's Reqord • of Flying 5000 HOURS IN THE AIR

(Froin

AUCKLAND, fTbis Day. Regarded as one of the Dominion'® foremqst aviators, Fligbt-Lieutenant D. M. Allan, cbief instructor to th® Auckland Aero Club, completed '5000 liours of flying on Saturday. To celebrate tbe occasion be was tbe guesi of honour at a coropbmentary club dinner in the club-house, Mangere. Born at Waipukurau, Mr. Allan left New Zealand witb hfs parents at ah early age, livmg for some time in th® Falkland Islands, Un tbe outbreak of tbe Great War.be was.in Soutb^Anieri--ca but he speedily qualjfied as 'a pilot witb the Boyal Air Force and, bolding tbe rank of lieutenant, was engaged in instructional work in_ macbine-gunnery and aerial fighting at Eastcburcb and Hounslow. He performed about 300 hours in dual instruction in Avros and tkissels. Following demobi'lisation, Mr, Allan returned to. New Zealand and for some

years acted as jaanager ' of a- Hawke's Bay sbeep station. Prioy to his ap= pointment to tbe position of instructor at Mangere in 1929 be was a prominent meraber of tbe Hawke's Bay Aero Club. A notable fact assoeiated with the completion of 5000 hours' flying is that Mr. Allan' s time has to a very lar^ extent been occupiedi in instructional work. He has been responsible for the training of about 170 pjlots at Mangere,