AERO CLUBS CONFER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 904, 22 February 1930, Page 10

AERO CLUBS CONFER

PARENT BODY TO BE FORMED MILITARY FLIGHT SCHEME Press Association BLENHEIM, Friday. The first conference of New Zealand aero clubs was held tonight and was attended by 30 delegates, representing the Auckland, Canterbury, Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, Hawera, New Plymouth, Wellington, Otago, Southland and Wairarapa Clubs. The Director of Air Services, Wing-Com-mander Grant Dalton, attended in an advisory capacity, and Mr. H. R. Dix. of the Marlborough Club, presided. It was decided to appoint a committee to draw up a constitution for a body to be known as the New Zealand Aero Club, ail approved clubs to he members, and the parent body to control air pageants, claims to records and generally to promote the interests of aviation. A further committee was appointed to approach the Government in regard to subsidies for A class pilots, general conditions of aero clubs, insurance and co-operation with the Meteorological Department in drawing up visibility scales for New Zealand. It was decided also to ask the Government to give aviation telegrams priority of transit and to provide special rates for telephone communications. A resolution was carried urging the Government to amend the Sunday Trading Act so that flying for hire or> Sunday should be no offence. The conference expressed the opinion that it was too early to discuss landing and parking fees. In this connection a resolution was passed expressing the opinion that the landing and other fees at Wellington were excessive, and that no fees should be charged for club machines landing at Wellington. The meeting unanimously approved a remit from Auckland recommending that a system be instituted whereby club pilots may become units in territorial flights and squadrons in the various centres, a flight to be formed from each club, and regular instruction given by Air Force officers, and that annual camps be held and the suggested training be accepted in lieu of compulsory military training.