FLIGHT TO MERCURY BAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1054, 19 August 1930, Page 16

FLIGHT TO MERCURY BAY

LANDING ON BEACH SERVICE MAY BE STARTED From Our Own Correspondent THAMES, Monday. On Saturday, starting from the Thames Jockey Club's course. Captain R. R. Money, of Hamilton, with Mr. A. G. T. Bryan, of Thames, made the first flight in to Mercury Bay in a Moth plane, landing on Buffalo Beach after 20 minutes’ flying. The residents, most of whom had never seen an airplane, except in pictures. indulged in flights, and the plane had a very busy time. Captain Money told a Sun representative that there were distinct possibilities about Thames as an aviation centre in the near future, if the racecourse could be made available for planes at any time except when races were being held. At present the Thames Golf Club has a lease and wilt not permit flying on Saturday afternoon. Captain Money said that the Borough Council at trifling expense could turn the course into an ideal B class landing ground by just levelling a few ridges, and that there was ample space for the construction of a hangar. Mercury Bay, he said, had a perfect landing place at Buffalo Beach, and land was available for a B class airdrome just behind it. He considered that Mercury Bay had a great future as a flying centre and tourist resort, as the flying time was less than threequarters of an hour from Mangere. There is a probability of an air service between Auckland and Mercury Bay being run when the big-game fishing season commences this summer.