YOUTH AND AVIATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 664, 16 May 1929, Page 9

YOUTH AND AVIATION

COBHAM SETS OUT ON HIS MISSION TOUR OF GREAT BRITAIN British Official Wireless Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Wednesday. In a large De Haviland 10,-seater airplane, Sir Alan Cobham starts today on a three months’ tour of Great Britain, with the object of arousing municipal interest in flying. In 100 towns, in addition to the flights which will be given to the local authorities, Sir Alan will be able, through the generosity of an anonymous donor, to give 100,000 free flights to school children, and these will range from 50 to 300 in each town, according to the basis of school population. Sir Charles Wakefield yesterday christened Sir Alan’s air liner “Youth of Britain,” and in doing so said that while the immediate object of the tour was to investigate landingground possibilities, and to demonstrate flying prospects to all the larger towns in Great Britain, the direct appeal which would be made to the boys and girls would in the long run do even more to assist Imperial aviation. The day would come when flying as a means of travel and as a sport would be an accepted commonplace of life. Youth would herald that day, and this tour would help enormously in focussing the keenness and energy of youth upon flying.