WOMEN AS AVIATORS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 January 1928, Page 4

WOMEN AS AVIATORS

MRS HEWLETT’S VIEW’S. j AUCKLAND, Jan. 25 !

“I was so delighted with New Zealand when I was out before that I have now come to live here,” said Mrs -Maurice Hewlett, widow of the well-known author, in an interview in Auckland.

Mrs Hewlett was the first woman aviator in Great Britain to gain her certificate under the Royal Aero Club’s International rules, and her enthusiasm for flying is as keen as it was in those earlier days. Discussing the great developments that have taken place in regard to both land and sea flying, Mrs Hewlett expressed the opinion that there was great scope for seaplane flying in New Zealand for there were such splendid natural harbours to be found.

“You have the men, too,” she added. “When I was travelling I met.a number of young New Zealand men who were as keen about flying as they could possibly be.” Mrs Hewlett’s son, Wing Commander Hewlett, has had some New Zealanders serving under him at C'alshot, the most important seaplane station in England, among them Captain Isitt, who had done remarkably fine work in every direction.

“If you bad your seaplane stations established in New Zealand,” she said, “even just a few. they could he used for carrying passengers and mails as well as training for military work, and in Unit ease would he partly self-supporting. With no aerodromes, but simply hangars and piers lor the planes in slide down into the water, fhere is not so much expense In face us in land living. There is l his about it. too, that living employed in civil flying in addition 10 their military service, your men would always lie ready for any danger that might arise.” The position hud changed very considerably in regard to the use l of seaplanes since 1919 when Colonel do Vere Beltington had lieen sent out to report upon the position in regard to air work. In a land such ns Now Zealand, where the natural conformation of the country had to have special consideration, Mrs Hewlett thought there was much to be said in favour of the use of seaplanes. The part that women were taking in aviation as also touched upon by Mrs Hewlett, who considered that women had some very special aptitudes for it. They had a very delicate sense of touch, keener than that of men in many eases, and they had an extraordinnv intuition of what one might call the moods of a machine. When they really went in for aviation thoroughly they were tremendously keen and had very line courage. Mrs Elliott-Glvim, u ho. had broken the record for a twoseilter ill high flying at a meeting in Liverpool, was mentioned, and there were others who had done good work. Unfortunately, flying as an individual hobby or recreation was a very expensive thing, and many women who would have made flying more or less a pastime, could not do it owing to the expanse. People who were oneo wealthy in England were no longer so and they have had to give up their big homes and their entertaining, said Mrs Hewlett. As an additional proof of how lurch slr> likes New Zealand, Mrs Hewlett has brought her family with her from England to settle here.