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The Rhodesia Herald, April 13, 1928
A GLOWING tribute, enhanced by the weight of wide experience, was paid to the qualities of the new Salisbury aerodrome on Wednesday evening at a dinner given by the municipality in honour of the Royal and South African Air Force Flights at the Grand Hotel, and attended by ministers and other prominent men, and a number of Rhodesian ex-airmen, many of whom had travelled long distances to witness the arrival of the planes earlier in the day.
Mr Smit, the mayor, said that Salisbury was a proud city that day for several reasons.
It was the occasion of the first visit of members of His Majesty’s Forces, the first time that Salisbury had seen more than one aeroplane at once, and there had been a test of the new aerodrome established by the municipality.
Everyone, proceeded the Mayor, had seen the excellent landing of the machines and, personally, he was of the opinion that the ground was all that could be desired. But, on this subject he would like the opinions of experts.
“Now,” he said, “Salisbury has a place on the aviation map of Africa, and I think that may lead to great development, not only in a military application, but also in the way of civil and commercial flying.
Mr Smit regarded the RAF and SAAF aviators as new pioneers. They were going to open up an imperial airway from Salisbury to Broken Hill over a country not opened in the past.
Following the request of the Mayor, the Air Vice-Marshall Webb-Bowen, referred to the Salisbury landing ground, to which he paid a very high compliment. “In Salisbury, you have an aerodrome second to none in the whole of Africa.”
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- The state of the nation’s airports is critical as it is a key contributor to economic activities.
- Ninety-three years after the celebration of the Rhodesian aerodrome, the New Dispensation has embarked on a refurbishment drive, which will see not only the expansion of the country’s national airport but also its upgrading.
- Congestion has been and continues to be a problem at many airports throughout the world, and expansion projects will solve the problem.
- Expanding the capacity of an airport entails a multi-year capital expansion project to construct a runway and/or a terminal.
Online Reporter