FIRST AERIAL DERBY

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1921, Page 3

FIRST AERIAL DERBY

FLIGHT ROUND THE WORLD

WELLINGTON, April 4. 'J'lie arrangements arc practically complete for the First Aerial Derby Around the World, so Sir R. Heaton Rhodes (Minister for Defence) is advised by Major Charles J. (Ridden, U.S.A., -officer in charge of the event. The First Aerial Derby was to have taken place last year, but was unavoidably postponed and it is now anticipated that it will.take place in July next. Sir Heaton Rhodes has been elected a Member of the World’s Board of Aeronautical Commissioners, in place of the ex-Minister for Defence, Sir James Allen, now High Commissioner, London. AERIAL LEAGUE OE WORLD ]>v virtue of his election as a member of the Board, Sir Heaton Rhodes has been appointed Commissioner for New Zealand for the. First Aerial Derby Aiounil the World, and the Hon. Commissioner lor New Zealand of the Aerial League of the World. The league has been instituted for the purpose of advancing the cost and the time of 'transportation of passengers, mails, and merchandise, and bringing the people of all nations closer together that they may know each other better, thereby ensuring perpetual peace to all mankind.”

The broad aims and objects of ■ the league are as follows: age the use of aircraft for all purposes throughout the world; (2) to promite safety in aerial navigation and in the construction of aircraft, aerodromes, accessories etc; (3) to encourage and ifrge tho establishing ot suitable landing places for aircraft all over the world, and to standardise such landing-places and equip them with stanardised lighting and signalling devices and guiding lights to facilitate aerial navigation; (4) to cause and urge the establishing of recognised airways throughout the world’s commercial centre, and, wherever aircraft can, solve problems of transportation; (5) to provide a scientific and practical solution of the difficult problem of operating permanent aerial transportation lines at night and in fogs over fixed routes without danger of collision to aircraft flying in opposite directions, by bringing about the adoption of airways eighty miles wide, which will permit aircraft by keeping to the route to avoid collision, even if they deviate from their course owing to wind-drift.

Major Glidden, who is the founder of the Glidden automobile tours has been a popular pioneer of aeronautics since 1905, and is the executive secretary of the Commission which organised the First Aerial Derby around the world.

Some nineteen years ago Major Glidden visited New Zealand in tlie course of his motor tour round the world, motoring through the Dominion from Auckland to Wellington and from Christchurch to the Bluff.