BLENHEIM AERO CLUB

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1929, Page 8

BLENHEIM AERO CLUB

SIR C. C. WAKEFIELD’S GIFT. PRESENTED AT PAGEANT. BLENHEIM, .March 0. Hon. T. M . Mil ford, Defence XI blister .received a civic welcome on his li:t visit to Blenheim, and received deputations in relation to the new courthouse and a request for a 11csiden Magistrate at Blenheim. In regard to the latter item, the .Minister said the Government was appointing a relieving Magistrate to take the place of Magistrates on holiday. or on sick leave, or to do reliefwork at such places a.s Blenheim, where there is no resident .Magistrate. The Minister inspected the Marlborough Aero Club’s landing grounds, and took his first flight in the Moth plane, presented hv Sir Charles Wakefield to the Dominion. At a pagent on Waterloo, Mr Walter Ingle, representative of the Wake field firm, in the Dominion, made the formal presentation of a gift plane to the Government, represented by Mr Wiiford. Air Ingle said he was p’eas•>(l that the plane would be given to Marborough, where the people had displayed such a wonderful air sense and progress!veuess in the matter ol a\ iation.

Mr Wiiford, in accepting the plane and handing it over to the Marlborough Aero Club paid a tribute to Marlborough’s up-to-date progressiveness in aviation.He was glad ol l-hs b--au.se-Blenheim was destined to be the Dominion’s central station as far as aviation was concerned, as the machines from North, and South would use it. M r IT. R. Dix, President of the Aero (Cl'ub. thanked the Wakefield Coy, and the Government for the gift plane’. He said that their gratitude was tinged with belief that they hao a good claim to a plane, having perhaps ■ the best-equipped muni-ipa’ drome south of the line, with a membership of 300, of whom 70 were train-

Mr Dix then christened Die new olane ‘’Sir Charles Wakefield” in honour of the donor. Cheers were given for the donor, the Minister and Mrd AVilford. In the afternoon's programme there was an exhibition of acrobatics and competition events for light planes. Captain K. Hal' was present with ail Avro Avrivi. while two of the Club’s moths "me also aloft. The Minister left altciwards for the South.

In honour of- the of Defence, the Marlborough Club staged an aerial pageant. A huge crowd of spectators were thrilled with a spectacular exhibition of aerobatics by the competing pilots, who spun and looped and did tile falling leaf right over the grounds. The aerial events wore vein Interesting. In one slow race the machines appeared -absolutely still, ihi.was won by Captain Ken Hall, ol Horn rata, in the Avro Avian. Captain Chandler, in a Marlborough Ciub Moth was second.

An all transport race thrilled the crowd. The pilots had to cycle one hundred yards, drive a motor car -JOD yarns, start up the planes, fly to a given point two miles away, return to the aerodrome, bind and fold the wings, and then motor and cycle hack to the starting point. Captain Chandler won. Mr Ila'l aas second, and Coptain RuvelL ol the Air Force was third.

The pageant was held in con urn.lion with the Military Rands’ gdn. end attracted the biggest crowd seen in R.'enfieim for years. Other events i n limed motor cycle races etc. Tlie weather was perfect.

Sir Charles Wakefield’s acDvides m -..■on licet ion with aviation ’nave 1 emi remarkable, and his help in \*ow Zealand will be appreciated the more as its re us! eiererastasdltlie stbe sc see c its results are realised.