Flying to Work

Levin Daily Chronicle, 6 April 1918, Page 4

Flying to Work

Thanks to the employment of a seaplane, Lieut.-Colonel J. L. Sleeman, 1.G.5., Director of Military Training, was able to carry out two inspections at widely-separated points in record time while he was in Auckland last week. He had to perform the double duty of inspecting some flying pupils at the Kohimarama School and the Territorials and Maoris training at Narrow Neck Camp. As the Territorials were leaving camp at middayj both inspections had to be performed the same morning, and these being at widelyseparated points, the problem wai how to accomplish both. A seaplane from the Kohimarama School solved the difficulty. Colonel Sleeman was met by the plane at King's Wharf and flew down to Kohimarama in 3% minutes — a journey which usually takes half an hour to do by motor car from Auckland. Having inspected the pupils at the flying school he then flew asross the harbour, and along Rangitoto Channel to Narrow Neck Camp, landing on the beach. This journey occupied only four minutes as compared with the usual three-quarters of an hour taken up in crossing from Auckland itself. Thus the director was able to perform a full day ? s work in the course of the morning only. Upon being interviewed subsequently, Colonel Sleeman stated that in his opinion—and ho- started flying in 1913—flying was a necessity for the future, and was equally as safe as motoring, and those business and professional men who realised its possibilities and made use of them would certainly outdistance their competitors.