THE AIRWAYS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 710, 9 July 1929, Page 16

THE AIRWAYS

By

"THE ROC"

Landing Grounds Wanted

WITH seven of the Auckland Aero Club’s pupils having now passed the practical tests for their pilot’s licence, private flying has made its first step in passing through the experimental stages and will in the near future be ready to_ emerge into the stage of general development and growth. The light airplane clubs are preparing the way for expansion. Within limitations their work is being well done and the clubs deserve, and must receive, continued support. i But young qualified pilots can not be expected to remain content by doing their flying always over or near an airdrome. They shall soon receive

the idea of making longer cross country flights, perhaps week-end trips, and then the question arises—where are the landing grounds? There is not a great number about, and more enterprise on the part of the Government in sorting out the various fields suitable for landing and making them known to pilots would be much appreciated. At the present time there are so few of the smaller towns with suitable landing grounds near them that the practical scope of the airplane is small. There was an example of this last week when Major Cowper, instructor to the Auckland Aero Club, flew to Tauranga. He found it necessary to land -on a mud flat. Fortunately he was able to do so without a great deal of trouble. In order to extend the scope and popularise flying, all those places to which men travel on business or pleasure must be served by airdromes of some sort, and pilots must be able, at a moment’s notice, to obtain reliable weather reports from any of them. Today it is possible to fly for great distances without passing over any established landing ground. Many fields where the machine might alight in safety may be seen, but in none of them will there be provision for refuelling or storing a machine. The airplane is unfortunate as compared with the ship in that there are no natural harbours for it. Certainly the stage ha* not yet been reached in the Dominion when a meek-looking and lonely field, the moment an airplane’s wheels touch it, will give forth

a farmer intent, not on autographs or souvenirs, but on damages, etc. But with the growing use of planes, when the novelty wears off, that time must come. The peppering of the country with landing grounds would undoubtedly be one of the greatest aids toward the popularising of aviation and would at once change the aspect of civil flying in the Dominion. Whereas flying is now often confined to the precincts of the home airdrome it would then become chiefly a means of reaching other airdromes. Instead of being used as the roundabouts at a fair, to furnish a pleasurable sensation of rapid movement, it -would be used for carrying passengers from place to place, or, in other words, it would be rather for motion than emotion. The pilot would be able to go anywhere instead of to only a few places which are specially marked on the map, and which, perhaps, he has no desire to visit. For a week-end trip he could look anywhere within a radius of 300 miles from his home and could know that without hurrying he could reach any place in that radius in time for luncheon. He selects his destination and notes on his map the position of the nearest landing ground. Before he starts a telephone call tells him about the weather at that landing ground and along the route in terms which present the facts as they affect air navigation. On arrival he is met by mechanics whom he can trust to handle his airplane without

s

putting their feet through the -wings. Adjustments and minor repairs are carried out without the pilot having to do them himself or even watch them being done. Sheds are available for garaging the machine. It is true that it is possible to operate an airplane without service or sheds. Some pilots enjoy those conditions and are most happy when they are contriving a repair with insulating tape, mud, and pieces of string, but the great majority of amateur pilots prefer that their machine shall work without their being forced to pay too much attention to it.