VISIT BY BIG AEROPLANE

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 134, 16 January 1939, Page 3

VISIT BY BIG AEROPLANE

GREETED BY LARGE CROWD BRIEF VISIT BY -MINISTER 'The first big passenger aeroplane to land on t-lie Opotiki aerodrome arrived at Opotiki on Saturday morning and was welcomed by a crowd of several hundred. Weather conditions were favourable and the big machine was first seen as a tiny speck high above the ranges up"the Otara valley. Tiie plane quickly came down the valley and circled the town once before making a perfect landing on tile eastern end. of the aerodrome. The machine was taxied up in front of the buildings and as it came to a stop was greeted with clapping by the crowd. By the courtesy of Union Airways the -crowd was allowed to make a close-up inspection of the big machine which looked very graceful in a. new coat of paint.

The Alinister of Defence, Hon. F. Jones, and other members of the party m the plane, were welcomed by Mr. F. J. Short, chairman of the Domain Board’, and Air. Roberts, Public Works engineer.

The Alinister had travelled to Gisborne oxi Friday from Wellington, motoring to Palmerston North and there taking off from ALilsom aerodrome in the D.H. 86 Karoro, one of Union Airways’ fleet, of airliners: The journey was continued to Opotiki and Tauranga- on the following day. -The Alinister was accompanied by Lord Stabolgi, a British Labour peer now visiting New Zealand, and a party comprising Colonel N. S. Falla, chairman of directors of Union Airways, Limited, Air. Maurice F. Clarke, manager of Union Airways, Dr. AI. A. F. Barnett, of t-lic Meteorological Department, Squadron-Leader Buckritlgo, Air. T. A. Barrow, Air*-Secretary, Air. I). Haskell, aerodrome engineer t 0 the Public Works Department, and Air. F. N. Sherwood, private secretary to the Alinister. The plane was piloted by Commander A. G. Gerraud, duel pilot of Union Airways, with Mr. R. L. AIV-Gregor as co-pilot. Air. Lon. Maugham, chief grounds engineer of Union Airways also accompanied the ’plane. Alter a stay of over half-an-hour, the party entered the plane and the engines were started up. The airliner taxied to the far end of the aerodrome aucl turned into the wind, the engines were opened, out and the big machine left the ground ns smoothly as it had landed and slowly rose above the aerodrome and was soon gaining height over the town before flying along the coast.

GISBORNE TO TA UR AN G A DESCRIPTION OF TRIP An interesting account of the trip of the ’plane from Gisborne to Tauranga is given by the P.II. Herald special reporter, who wrote as follows on Saturday : An excellent trip from Gisborne to Tauranga to-day was undertaken by plane by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, and Lord Strabolgi, who are participating at- the official opening of the Tauranga aerodrome today. The Ministerial party, flying in Tmion Airways’ D.H. 86 Karoro. left Gisborne at B.'So a.m. and' made a smooth passage to Tauranga, via Opotiki, where the machine landed for a short halt, before continuing the journey to the scene of to-day’s aerodrome opening ceremony. Tlu; passage over the ranges between Gisborne and Opotiki was made by way of the JMotu saddle, where members of the party took a keen interest in the evidences of past- settlement and the areas which after years of grazing had .passed back into second growth, these being on the higher flanks of the ranges.

.Lord Strabolgi, who was making his flight over virgin and newly-settled country, was very interested in the processes by which heavily bushed lands had been brought into production. Clear Weather.

The weather was exceptionally clear over the ranges, and air travellers were favoured with an excellent panoramic view of the course of the Motu Gorge and the tortuous course of the livers running down to the Ray of Plentv coast.

At Opotiki, there was a considerable gathering of the public to witness the landing of the air liner, Mr. 1. J. Short, offering a warm welcome to tlie Minister, to Lord Strabolgi, to Col. N. S. Falla and members of the isterial party. Passing along the coast to Tauranga, which centre was reached at

10.15 a.m., the liner took a course a mile or two off shore, and oh the port side was spread l .the magnificent vistas of the Bay of Plenty dairying and agricultural country, with the Uiewera ranges in the background and Alt. 3Ddgecuin.be, an extinct volcano, in the middle distance.

Lord Strabolgi considered the countryside in the neighbourhood of Te Puke extremely reminiscent of a typical rural area in the, Olcl Country, and was keenly attentive to information provided by Union Airways’ officils regarding the Bay of Plenty’s many sporting attractions, chief of which was the deep-sea fishing available off Tauranga. The Karoro circled Tqinanga twice before ’coining to her landing on the new aerodrome across the harbour, , where* at present an area of between 50 and 60 acres is fully improved and a further area of over 200 acres remains to he fully drained and levelled.

CISBORNE TO AUCKLAND UNION AIRWAYS’ SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT FORECAST LATE) IN FEBRUARY Present plans for tbe establishment of tlie Gisborne-Auckland plane service, via Opotiki and Tauranga, will be realised by the end of February, a Herald pressman learned’ at Gisborne on Friday night from Colonel N. S. Falla, chairman of directors of Union Airways. , Aerodrome facilities at Opotiki and Tauranga were now complete, he informed the interviewer, and the installation of radio equipment at both the new aerodromes would bring them up to the standard required for the operation of the service. His company had the necessary machines for the Gisborne-Auckland link, Colonel Falla added’, and would operate a. two-way services between the two termini on week-days, with a one-way service only cn Saturdays and Sundays. The schedules will link up with the main North Island services.

It is proposed to use D.H. 86 planes on the new run, this being the type which pioneered the Palmerston Noitli-Blenheim-Christehurch-Dunedin service.

TAURANGA AERODROME OPENED BY MINISTER OF DEFENCE TWENTY PLANES TAKE PART In the presence of over three thousand people the Wliareroa (Tauranga), Aerodrome, to serve the whole of the Tauranga District, was officially opened by the Alinister of Defence on Saturday afternoon, by the Hon. F. Jones. Alinister of Defence. After performing the opening ceremony and witnessing an air pageant the Alinister left for Gisborne by ’plane at 5.80 p.m.

On arrival at the aerodrome the Alinister was welcomed by Air. L. R. Wilkinson, Mayor of Tauranga. He was later tendered an official luncheon with members of the Tauranga Borough Council and representatives of local bodies.

In performing the openiivg eerejnony at. the ’drome, the Minister said: “it is a great day for Tauranga and a great day for aviation in New Zealand. “I hope that you will all take advantage of the canoes of the skies. 1 am sure that they are more com fortable than thei canoes of the seas. The aerodrome would place the district within easy reach 0 f other centres and he suggested that they should save to. take their holidays by air. “A Post Office, Savings Bank will look after your money”, said the Minister with a smile. The Tauranga Borough Council was to be congratulated! on its foresight and the old aero, club for making the people air minded. “Especially to be congratulated is Mrs. H. B. Hewlett, a pioneer aviatrix who has the .remarkable distinction of having trained her own son to be a pilot. “Bearing in mind the excellent pioneering work carried out by Mrs. Hewlett as first president of the Tauranga Aero Clliib. L have great pleasure.” said the Minister., “in suggesting to the Tauranga. County Council that the new access road from the main highway he called Hewlett Road as a mark of appreciation of services rendered”. The extensive operations of Union Airways were mentipned by the Hon. Mr. Jones. During the past year the company’s planes had* flown a distance of 820,755 miles, equal to nearly eighty times round tlie world. The number of passengers carried in that period had been 21,500. He had to thank Colonel Falla, the chairman, and Mr. F. Maurice Clarke, the manager of. Union Airways for l being present with the passenger plane “Karoro”. “It is a fitting end to 100 years of development,” said tire Minister, in declaring the aerodrome officially open.