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Post by delticman on Jul 16, 2024 10:18:47 GMT 12
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Post by planewriting on Jul 17, 2024 9:47:56 GMT 12
By pure chance, just yesterday afternoon I sent the following story to the Auckland Gliding Club's newsletter editor. Back in 1981, I was able to find all the club's minute books and compiled its 50 year history into the April/May 1981 issue of Gliding Kiwi magazine. In this story's case, it involved school children. The Eon Baby, ZK-GAF, built in 1949, is all these years later now the oldest airworthy glider in New Zealand.
"Late in 1955 an annoying occurrence took place when a group of school children on a visit to Ardmore aerodrome, entered the Club's hangar and trampled on the wings of the Eon Baby and wrecked them.
The club was furious and sought restitution from the Education Department. Many wrangles with Government Departments and lawyers ensued. New wings were ordered from the manufacturers in England. The T.31 ZK-GAI Buttercup was sold for £850-0-0 to the New Plymouth Aero Club in October 1956 and provided financial relief, however the club was not letting the matter rest. Eventually new wings arrived and were fitted but the club was still out of pocket and so Messrs Morrie Green and Jim Harkness approached the Minister of Education through the local M.P. (the late Sir Leon Gotz - Minister of Internal Affairs) claiming restitution of £591-10-0. It was to be in August 1957 when a grant from the Department of Internal Affairs for £400-0-0 was received. The Club resolved to make Mr Gotz (before knighthood) an Honorary Life Member."
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Post by davidd on Jul 17, 2024 13:01:07 GMT 12
Nice story there planewriting Peter - Justice - in the end! Thought that this Mr Gotz MAY have been a wartime RNZAF officer (Flight Lieutenant A&SD Branch), but on checking realized this was not so, the wartime officer was named Grevis Gotz (no middle name).
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Post by Antonio on Jul 17, 2024 13:06:41 GMT 12
I guess that Jacob Parkinson has no desire to ever leave the Chathams - unless it is by sea!
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