DISTRICT AVIATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 December 1938, Page 16 (Supplement)

DISTRICT AVIATION

AN ENTERPRISING CLUB i PLANES IN ACTIVE SERVICE. MANY PILOTS TRAINED. A very pleasant way of surveying the natural beauties of this district, from the mountains to the sea,, is from one of the planes of the Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club( which are often to be seen . aloft, anywhere between Palliser ■. Bay and Dannevirke and at -times much further afield. Though it has as yet only an' anticipatory place on one of the main air transport routes' of the North' Island, the Wairarapa, /thanks to its enterprising aero club, .has its own busy round of flying activities. Largely as the result of investigations made by a committee of the now defunct Wairarapa Progress League, the Aero Club was formed at a public meeting held in August, 1929, with Mr W. L. Free as its first president. The club’s headquarters, the Hood Aerodrome, a property of 111 acres in close proximity to the borough, was acquired in 1930. The ground is divided into two parts, of which an area of 71 acres is at present in use while the remaining tract of 40 acres adjoining is available for enlarging the aerodrome when circumstances make this advisable. The present aerodrome, which provides runways in all directions and is suitable for use by medium-sized three-engined ’planes, has the following dimensions: Length of south boundary, 788 ’yards; length of north boundary, 665 yards; width, 440 yards. From 1934 to 1936, considerable improvements were carried out to the surface of the ground by the Public Works Department in cooperation with the Unemployment Board and the Director of Civil Aviation. The ground was resurfaced at an estimated cost of about £7OOO, while since the club purchased the ground it has spent, in addition, over* £5OO in the clearing of stones, regrading and surfacing. The ground is equipped with a hang-X capable of housing seven or eight foiled Moths. This building was erectea oy the club in 1930 at a cost of over £5OO, excluding a considerable amount of material and labour that were donated. A workshop was added in 1936. Early in January, 1936, a iclub house was erected. This was made possible by the splendid work of Mr A. McDonald, formerly the club’s patron and now its president. The cost of the club house was about £BOO. Of late the ground has been improved by the planting oi' ornamental trees, formation of lawns and erection of fences. A recent donation to the club was that of a wireless set. Besides the Hood Aerodrome, there are two other aerodromes, one at Dannevirke, controlled by the Dannevirke Airport Association, and one at Martinborough, leased to the club. There is a small hanger at the former ground for holding a folded 'Moth, while the hangar at Martinborough will accommodate four or five folded Moths.

The training of pilots is the primary function of the club, which has in addition rendered invaluable assistance in times of emergency by using its planes for search operations and has carried Christmas mails throughout New Zealand and ordinary mails' on occasions when district roads have been blocked by slips. These have been carried free of charge to the Government. The club also caters for the carriage of passengers to any part of New Zealand.

The planes at present operated by the club are two D.H. Moths —Gipsy 1, ZK-ABE, and Gipsy Major, ZK-ADL—-and a fast monoplane, a Miles Whitney Straight, ZK-AGB. To the end of last month 100 pilots trained by the club had obtained their A licences, 23 Endorsed A licences, and four B licences.