Whanganui letters: Loss of flight simulators shortsighted, kindness in the WOF queue

Two high school students check out an older simulator at the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy during an open day. Photo / NZME

Aviation planes and plans take the front page on Tuesday’s Chronicle and featured on One News with the PM announcing an agreement with the Vietnamese Government to train large numbers of commercial pilots in NZ, which is great news for the NZICPA (Pilot Academy).

However, the loss of PGF funding for the National Flight Simulator Centre is shortsighted. I have argued strongly for investment into both the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy and Whanganui District Council (WDC) Holdings National Simulator Centre, despite the fears of some councillors.

If WDC Holdings had vision, the support from the Government and crucially WDC, then it would now be building the centre and be the home of professional flight training for NZ and a major regional centre.

This WDC Holdings funding loss is a setback if you believe in a dynamic, forward thinking, smart and well-run “Whanganui Inc”. But the case for the National Simulator Centre is more compelling than ever and I hope a new mayor and council will have the vision to progress it, investing wisely for Whanganui’s future.

JAMES BARRON

Castlecliff

Warrant of kindness

There are some very loving, generous people right here in Whanganui.

I went for my Warrant of Fitness and as I had put a certain amount in my account that morning, I thought it could be used.

But when I needed to pay the amount of $78.00 the money had not come through as yet. So I was told to come back in the afternoon. My car was in the row of cars all waiting for a WoF. What to do? A very kind young lady came forward and paid for my WoF.

I was so thankful, I said I wanted to know where she lived, I wanted to pay the amount back to her.

You know what her answer was? ‘‘No dear it’s a present’’. We hugged and tears came to my eyes. This from a 86 year old grandmother.

P.S I got my warrant in one hit.

RIEKIE DYKSTRA

Forests swap hands

Anne Gibson has an article in our Chronicle (November 10) on the amount of land being sold for trees to overseas investors, it’s scary.

The thing to note is that some Chinese investors in NZ forests are selling out, why would they do that?

A few years ago they bought milling forests in North Auckland and that cost New Zealand mills access to those trees.

My spy said that deal meant his mill was milling trees five years too soon meaning some of the logs would not meet the stress test.

The other thing he told me was that China had planted a lot of trees in recent years and would likely be self sufficient in the not too distant future.

If that is true it could mean a big drop in log prices, is that the reason the Chinese are divesting themselves of NZ forests?

GARTH SCOWN

Whanganui