Dannevirke Flying Club hosts book launch for Becoming Airminded

Author Mike Harold talks to the appreciative crowd about his book Becoming Airminded.

It was to be a fly-in (called a Dawn Raid) by up to 30 aircraft from every compass direction.

Dannevirke locals were supposed to hear the planes and, remembering there was a book launch planned for the shortest day June 21 at the airfield, would flock out to hear from the author about his book titled Becoming Airminded, and buy lots of them.

Dannevirke Aero Club member Keith Cammock and Tararua mayor Tracey Collis look through a copy of Mike Harold's book.

Weather has caused many a flight interruption and so it did on Sunday, no planes coming from the wet and cloudy Hawke's Bay, no planes flying in from windy Wairarapa, not even locally based planes from out east making it in but three heroic Manawatu pilots skirting the Ruahines close to the Manawatu Gorge touching down with a hairy return in prospect.

Manawatu Aviation Club captain Ross Williamson said flying through the gorge was a bit exciting but the trip was worth it. He was happy to support the Dannevirke Flying Club.

The Dannevirke Flying Club slightly over-catered for breakfast but some aeroclub members from Hawke's Bay came down by car and the Dannevirke public came out, taking numbers up to about 40.

Eileen Curry who flew in with husband Brian from Feilding poses with Ron Wallace who hitched a ride back.

Mike Harold explained that his book Becoming Airminded was a timeline of 100 years of the Dannevirke airfield taking in many episodes and events which put it on the map. That included the visits of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Jean Batten in her Gypsy Moth, the development into one of New Zealand's leading gliding centres, its morph into a significant aerial topdressing base post-war and the formation of the Dannevirke Flying School by Colin Sandbrook which continues to train pilots today.

More than 200 pilots became commercial pilots including Michael Castell-Spence who came down from Hawke's Bay for the launch. He was the first to train at Dannevirke and fly commercially, spending most of his career in the UK and Europe.

As it turned out the keen supporters of the flying club and airfield had a thoroughly good time reminiscing about times gone by and Mike Harold said he even found out more than he had during his research.

"It was lovely to catch up with people," he said, "especially those I had not before met face to face but online."

He sold 26 of his books Becoming Airminded and has a lot of interest online and sales at the Dannevirke Information Centre. He expects most of the 150-book print run will be sold when the centennial comes around on July 21. The book costs $60 GST included and can be obtained online at contact@phillamason.com.

Mike was also delighted to sell 14 copies of I Would Not Step Back, his first book on aviator Phil Lamason in World War II which was a bonus.

A companion book going into detail about the family stories surrounding the airfield is due out in October – there are only 50 being printed and it may pay to book early.