TOUR BY PLANE

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 129, 4 January 1939, Page 2

TOUR BY PLANE

TE KUITPS" MAYOR

HOLIDAY IX XHE CLOUDS

VISIT TO OPOTIKI

Mr. H. Ji. Morton, Mayor of To J&uiti, accompanied by iiis daughter, Miss Betty Merton, visited Opotiki by. ’plane on Monday afternoon. Another plane, the Manawatu Aero Club’s Porterfield machine, in which Messrs. West and Porter, members, of the Manawatu dub, are making a holiday tour, also arrived at Opotiki. The presence of the two visiting club planes at the Opotiki aerodrome was noted with keen interest by local residents and quite a crowd gathered at the aerodrome to watch the tw ■> machines. Mr. Morton, who is . a member of the Te Kuiti Aero Club, piloted' the 'Jo Kuiti Club’s II ear win plane, a two-seater of stout construction am: a handy machine for chib Hying. This machine is the first of its type in New Zealand, and Mr. Morton speaks appreciatively of its performance. it has a cruising speed of lid miles per hour.

Mr. Morton and his daughter Betty have been making an aeroplane tour of North Island Hying fields and arrived in Gisborne on Sunday, leaving for Opotiki and Tauranga on the following day.

The only “Hying Mayor” in New Zealand, Mr. Merton has taken a keen interest in civil aviation, and was astonished to find that the v was no active aero club in the Gisborne district.

louring a week’s absence from 'J’e lvuiti, -Mr. Morton and his daughter have visited Wanganui, Paimeiston North, Foielding, Wellington. Blenheim, Napier, Gisborne, Opotiki and Tauranga. Before returning home a final visit was paid io Mangere. Auckland.

The two machines took their de parture from Opotiki at the same time, the red and silver machines presenting a fine sight as they taxied over the aerodrome and rose together and headed towards Tauranga. . When the machine piloted by Mr. Morton arrived in Opotiki it was found necessary to make a number of low flights across the aerodrome te clear the sheep away for a suitable landing. The second machine, which arrived at Opotiki about -Id minutes after Mr. Morton’s ’plane. made a quick landing after circling the town once.