AN AEROPLANE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1931, Page 5

AN AEROPLANE

A QUICK TRIP

HAWEA TO OKURU

DUNEDIN, August 10

To fly from Ilawea Flat to Okuvu, a small town on tin; West Coast, about halfway between the Haast river and Jackson’s Bay in 75 minutes was the feat performed by Captain White, of ;.\ew /icaland Airways, Ltd., tins morning. Piloting 'the company's Spartan machine, Captain (White left Taieri Aerodrome at 10 a.in. yesterday with Ilawea as his objective. The night was spent there, and this morning the machine took off again at 9.56. Shortly after midday, a telegram from Captain Whitt was received in Dunedin stating: “Good trip of 75 minutes from Ilawea.’’ This reduces the trip from Dunedin to the West Coast f via the 'Haast Pass route) from one of about a week to a few hours. The route the pilot intended following from Hawea was across the ndr’ow neck of land to Lake Wanaka, which was followed to Makarora, and the Southern Alps were crossed in the vicinity of the Haast Pass. This is the first occasion oil which an aeroplane has crossed the South Island from the Lakes district.

THE TRIP EXTENDED.

A VISIT TO HOKJTIICA

There were a large number of people gathered on the sea beach opposite Stafford Street yesterday afternoon where a bonfire signal hud< been lit, awaiting the arrival of the aeroplane from Okuru, and Dunedin, of which word had been received earlier in the day. Progress reports reached town of the plane having passed Cfkarito and then that it \vvas over Ruatapu. Soon after the plane was seen well' up making for thd town. It circleu a couple of’times and then came down to rest with the grace of a bird, there not being any perceptible bump as the machine touched the ground. The large crowd thrit had gathered rushed to the machine, which had come to rest on the edge of the waves, thd landing place being an excellent one. It was then hauled up on Jo the crown of the beach for'safetty.

The pilot, Captain White, was accompanied by M,r Mackav, manager of Wanaka Motors Ltd., the White Star line, and he is also one of the owneis of Airways Ltd. Dunedin. The ’plane had 1 a good trip over from Dunedin to the West Coast staying at Hawea on Sunday and crossing the Alps to Okuru on Monday morning the trip being a very successful one. The arrival at Okuru brought out the whole of the residents to greet the first aeroplane to visit the district. The landing place was a narrow one and somewhat rough. On Tuesday morning the pilot was busily engaged taking up passengers for a spin in the air. Some fifteen trips had been made, when the machine in landing caught a heavy 'tussock and the pYopellor was damaged, necessitating repairs, and* causing some delay. It was then decided not to take ’up any more passengers and when the repaired propellor, lmd been tried out it was decided to leave for Hokitika, and Okuru was left at 3 o’clock. The trip up the Coast was uneventful one, though heavy clouds at times causes the visibility not to be of the best. Hokitika was reached shortly after 3 o’clock, the smoke signal having been seen when several miles 1 away from it. As before stated, after [ circling round a couple of times to get 1 the lay of the beach the plane came down to rest in a most graceful manner and was then hauled up on the bench out of reach of the tide, and was then subject to a 'close inspection by the large crowd that bad assembled. It was the intention of the pilot to take up any passengers who desired a spin in the air to-day and to leave later for Christchurch, but the heavy gale that came up in the night and continued this morning will prevent any air movements to-day and further movements will depend on the weather.