THE OPOTIKI AERODROME

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 36, 25 May 1938, Page 3

THE OPOTIKI AERODROME

ING COIPLEIW ■'} PASSESfiffi' SERICES COMMENCE TfflS YEAR

, ' ' 1 / ‘ ■ ■ The r Alte*rk; ,cf - OpfitiliJ and it is hoped That by November next the area wlucli will be available for Are inauguration of the Jong-awaited passenger service between- Opotiki and if facilities r phji' , ff ; M» 't° Gisborne also., thus c(>mp 1 etlhe_ lipk in the r umd the North that- the Ta will he available at tile y/entl .Of the and it only remains for;-AVlialtcitbite . to purchase a site and a-!,'uitaTjfe ’tlrfune in that distriefc^for ;'thty'Bay 6tPlenty chains of laliding gAfunds tu he finished, it will well into 1839 before the Whafcatune aerodrome is an accomplished fact*as it is only recently that a serious attempt has been made by the local authorities there to cater lor the flying needs oh ■'‘that part of the Bay. ki Cost of Aerodrome. '

\ . J‘ 1 V- - ' bored that OpotrKi' J'ears was ligh ting. j a los i n'"_i.hMtle y-xn F m miiig'the annual race ' foyud impossible b^^thout;'; risk of the Jockey getting into serious financial Even if the Domain not offeied the ■ area to the Go>7,9S*Wg>pnt there appeals to be 1 itt 1 o the racecourse ~site.*Avonild \ tlip ..pairpose Tmi, Which it isnbw beniis ■k Used, rAs the district-«;.con- : %'<jerrua& ! £&hc> |erodrome of very:. : %nii^j|^ , eatei v .importjße to Opotiki-) : lieiri to #Vfi opotiki on the map, the •aeroclifiiitm' 1 is-'to _he ■ Pleiitv terminus,' and is to used to a considerable extent V. '• Vi fence purposes. , -Xf, ■

Work cf Dorrmjrt, Board. A great dwj of credit is due members of the M aioeka Donijm; Beard, under the chairmanship o£<Air F. J. Short, for the cstahlishnieibthdfc an up-to-date aenxfrome iu„;tlifej. district being sp near completion mid)it is proliahle that a year or more/would have been not Mr Sliojrt and the Mayor, Mr <Trs->. -Moody .Another member ot the Board, gohey to \N eilington and placed theil) proposals before the authorities and'ToyVinuod negotiations over a lengthy' period before the scheme was. finalised. A lien the scheme was first- placed, hot ore tinauthorities it was .to preserve the racecourse hut- it - was considered the area would have "tyieh been hopelessly inadequate for fpreseiit-day passenger planes. I

The land comprising the Opotiki T aerodrome is valued at approximately ,£8.(.100, and the estimated cost of profield and the erection '7ttf. this nefcessary ; buildings £T,o</J; inciting a totp.!. Of £16,500. is vftrv fortunate indeed to secure such tt first-clasp aerodrome at practically no cost-to the district. The Opotiki Borough and (Amnty Councils were each expected to uiako .a-.contri-bution to the establi&hmfinti fof the aerodrome in the district,' but*.the Waioelm Domain Board,'..which 'offered the area pIMOU acres' comprising the actual flying-field to the Government. also offered to find the whole of tin* local bodies’ contribution to the Department, and this offer being accepted, Opotiki has' secured an exceptionally fine aerodrome at not a penny cost t {) district ratepayers. \\ hen in Opotiki last year, the .Hon. It. Semple, who inspected the aerodrome site, said' that Opotiki would possess one of the best aerodromes in the Dominen at the lowest cost. Fine Runways. Four runways , are ;seing provided and flfliv.se ranged]?; om tiuU yarAto. I'tJBD yartls, , other two run ■ffnrb’djeing-7'6oj and 770 yards in < length ,re'sp6ctivoly'." These runways vdU enable illanes co land and take off sli eight' different directions Imt the runways will be necessary tor t- the very big plan.es to land on when fully haded. main runway will run Hr the whole] length of the held .in jf'?inc’ from cai.; to west. This rmiwiiiy, fit the western end of...the Hyi: g-tiel'-K lies midway between ’.the-; and tlie .10-acre rccreatidi^; Had the reserve also beefi| : t-Tkeu .into the flyii ig-fjjeldM"i tiVa'Ve'heeu possible to have haM fur air' ditidniil runway of about-.TKfiy The resen/j is intended i« a parking area. ./ Accommodation for Aekoplsjnes.

A Central 1 Position.

The aerodrome is well placed and should lie free of disturbing air currents as tin* vicinity e-sTcJoar; of high hills. The field is only/two miles from the Opotiki Post Office and is very centrally placed to give gontl service to. the whole district. The site is very fortunately almost "fog-frA-*, a dense fog being a rarity.

Passenger Services

It is not vet known’ whether 'the •Government will allow a ..foilservice to be run from G.isborne-to Aueblaiid via Opotiki before ’radio : beaebnvsystem is installed. At times during the'.year the mountain range betwe ui the ijtwo .Bays-ds ;badljs.:v>bsiWred -by low-ly/jug eioitds—scv?ibtiines\dpr, .Severn l daysjin will- hemothipg: to preycu't-.pldiios fly--ing heitieeii Opotiki and Gisborne with the Aveathorcoybi- • - tio-ivV« re«hj.vbu r abJe..-. : l“?/' . V b; •*?-VHer tU ; of.|he; old racecod ISO t'eiic%;i|M{i the other ienees ing ■Lionel, ' tjie v •first major wa^kjgplrain-; ' ijjtVg; of.th<w I }pl| 5 -.aFe£(vi: 1 . Levels' 4 wei-e taken of the a-lialf miles of eurYfji-'' the-' whole,, area, t.|ijp;;’. J ang’jt. from narrciw drainsfoot or deep to hig drains ~vCl i o |ghtJ|eet deep:, The drains are f’-.V chains apart, sdii'T 1 -^l!l^*runnini^.i l at an angle into tlw grains. Ap* ■prnximately 45,0 M; ite &£ Ms ranging in si/e from 4 iu< I,u yter inches were ■-jaECdP I which when. - retd: ‘‘works of art’A.sp .they-’cuv. and finished At the. bottom of each drain a javer of gravel was spread for tiled tiles to rest on and them followed several courses of graved, ranging in size from big stones to very gravel. The drains were finished If With ji layer of manuka and oil top of this was placed six inches of soil. The manuka, why used' for the purpose of keeping tlie|tJjrsbil from mixing with the gravel helflrd' consolidating. The .covered drains discharge l the water into the main drains vyhiehf surround the area. That the is doing its work' well was demoiP-i«ji£2; <kl during the recent S Aveatlier,. when tfi\'\whole’. k t-ioned -perfectly .au<jl - .the yvldlOT h l, v-v| although not .' -thejyV lev&)led jiff;. y |jo| •nijUt’icatlv free!* from surface m ' l r iff

Provision is being made‘to atcpnunodate a large number ot" machines and three huge hangars, measuring 180 ft. hv 701 t., will bd'biuit i>Y a semicircle near the -present'entrance to the aerodrome from the r ‘racecourse road. A new access road is to be/put in at an early date and when the buildings are erected they will be fronted by a pernianent-surlated, v ,,f ilJrou strip running along "the hangars,* Two of the .hangar* will be in,, linos, while the third will he built tit, an angle. ■The administrate vo-b u licl i rif; Wi 11 he situated at about tlie spot where the totalisator buildiugjflnw stands. Wireless Communication. Wireless Jacilitips will also he provided at as it is now f. compulsory for 7*ll/ aerodromes being /used for pa&senge}' transport to be so ’equipped, to-£na)flc communication to lie made .with- machines in the air and also with other aerodromes. ! District Loses Racecourse. jklents will view with rof<* gi jf/.'Brf l facr that Opotiki has lost- its; race but ,it has to be remem--

fegj) h r '-' Prevention of Flooding. ■f... f Pfi-eearyons will be , taken later a.gainsly olt'n’".er of poiction or the area, being-flooded from the Ot ira river and ' the ‘eastern comer and part of the rixorthern side >viu*fbOtestpjp-tlanked and witli the .flood-gates] in jjo.sition in the main drains there - jjpmpKi be little danghr of any iiortioiiyyf the area lier in‘g covered with fflooef-water. Local unemployed men were used in fi+lxe work of cutting th'e.di'ains. 'J'his wpts finished at the : c(nd of last year -.' a ft4r' over six ni-ontlisf work. Numerfc|is: - logs were encountered / over the yTea and presented .'a!'prbbleni. Some l ouI :( f!l>vlfi tins mmij'd llJ ' litc-iy *; .ect m some of agelevelling and a contract ibi* was let to Messrs Butler and’ (Jarrctil Ltd., the contract price'lybein'g over., £3OOO. The work of levelling has taken considerably lunger thai expected. the long wet spell in •‘April making conditions worse for the contractors. Since the huge'"'carry-all scoop was put on about a fortnight ago, considerably better progress has been made. This huge machine, which has two. giant tyres in front and four at the back, can pick up nine yards ot spoil m a matter of seconds only and then can eject the spoil evenly over any required spot just- -as - quickly. The huge mechanical scoop is dyrtwn by a giant caterpillar tractcTv)vhich can cover tlio ground at quiteVi snifil’t rate a.rnl is extremely mobile. -Various implements have been used up to date but these machines appeared to make poor headway compared with the big carry-all scoop. Three tractors are in use on the work, one of these being engaged in tearing out the hedges surrounding the big field. A small diesel caterpillar tractor has been used for the lighter work, And the'

final levelling off lias been done by thee Opotiki County Council’s road planer,

UpOLIKI COUlll) V/UUllt u fudupmuti, ) and this machine lias been making a. i very fine job of putting, the finishing i touches to th(' levelled ar£|i|lsAljproxfe: r mately 80,000 yards of ) been moved in the C tions. It ibsf -the jp?6a levelhM o^^^tsowi^jv--t-he-. .gri^ss-sffe^.eirly/ 111 the whole’ • % aefod\Hpi^' nicely <-<mgrowftli pf the; spring. . . . aerqdvrsp.e should /be.'avn liable iridr flyinga-j taonfli or two be,4’Qfe.tlie endt^'^lLeyniiT. % ' Removal : ot Hcidgei' and Trees. r hedges within 100 feet of the )aerd(li v 6me will have to be cut. back anil trees likely to bqpdangcrotis will asso be .removed. The trees surrdu'nding the recreation area : of ten acres in the south-western .’corner will not bo .touched /s all are a sale 1 distance from this arc* - . Cv?> Landing Cisides. >s^NT ill ' - f vbi/thy .landing field ciuyi-rctb : landing '';.-i‘n| diameter will he Jaid.; : ' On the out- / side of tiie maiiV drains fences will he erected' but on the inside of the drains toifoi“hushes will be planTeA and when these are grown the \yhojle field will he well outlined with the Ayhite tops. Jlig motor tyres painted wli/ite~will also he prdiifclmohtly placed' atv all corners ol the area. .. y;;’. The dwelling at pireSAtirt on the field lacing the raoivcourjseiVjroad-"'will he imped to a -liioi/'e;suitable ;ppsition and plf%t} used cot§T}h, of the aejodrome ib.s b 0( in charge of Mr^ -A. Grahame, jjKas proved himself atfiEst-blass of works. ■ ; I£' iay BB -grandstand and memberS AM race meetings. ; ;bn dßflrground anchit is.quite poj|Bß may there foiVstwric tiniedisPSpp’scd Of in the ’meantime. ilia in Board lor retnoyal. >->' ■ cyvf ;;C,A