CIVIL AVIATION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 156, 1 June 1940, Page 3

CIVIL AVIATION

NEW ZEALAND AERO CLUB. At tho annual meeting of the Royal New Zealand Aero Club held in - Wellington, Mr A. A. McNab,' of Blenheim, was elected president for the new year, and Messrs W. H. Shepherd (Dunedin) and R. I. M. Sutherland (Wellington) vice-presidents. The New Plymouth and Wanganui Aero Clubs were admitted to membership in place of the Western Federated Flying Club, which has been dissolved. A letter was received from GroupCaptain H. W. L. Saunders, Chief of the Air Staff, expressing' appreciation of tho work done by aero clubs in the past towards the defence of the Dominion and stating that without the machines and 1 personnel taken over from clubs the Government’s air training scheme in New Zealand could not have proceeded as expeditiously as has been the case. The meeting felt that all New Zealand’s resources should be mobilised-in the present emergency and the following motion was passed unanimously:—“That this club, as representative of the aero clulw throughout the Dominion and as a body vitally interested in the defence of the Empire, is of the opinion that the voluntary system has proved inadequate to meet the urgent necessities of this country’s war effort and thatythe time has come for the whole of the resources of the nation to be conscripted immediately.” The club ako placed on record'its appreciation of the gallant work of the Royal Air Force, many outstanding exploits of which have been carried' out by pilots who received their early training at the hands of constituent aero clubs.

Gratification was expressed at the total of £23,707 of interest-free loans made by clubs to the Government consequent on the taking over of aeroplanes and equipment. The accounts disclosed an excess of income over expenditure of £47 compared with a surplus for.the imevious year of £32. ' After recalling that the Government had taken over from all clubs all machines and staff in any way useful for Air Force training, the annual report mentioned that it was decided that payment due by the Government be allowed to stand over free of interest until the end of the war. when the Government agreed that payment be made or machines replaced in order that, as far as possible, the individual flying clubs may. again take up their usual activities’. The council felt, in view of the position, that when the war is over the flying clubs should take up their training activities in addition to the usual facilities extended to members. “The Government of the Dominion has had no cause to regret the aid given to clubs over past years and it is felt that an even greater measure of assistance should be extended in the future,” the report stated.