Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Tuesday 20 June 1933, page 6


PERSONAL

AERO CLUB APPOINTMENT.

Tasmanian Instructor.

So many Victorians are now learning to fly that the committee of the Vic-torian section of the Aero Club has had to appoint an assistant instructor to help the instructor manager (Mr. Eric Chaseling) at Essendon at week-ends. He is Flying Officer A. A. Koch, a Tas-manian, who has a distinguished flying

record.

Mr. Koch, who is a son of Mr. R. W. Koch, building surveyor to the Hobart City Council, trained first at Point Cook, in 1926, and went away with the first batch of Australians, on the short service commission scheme with the Royal Air Force. He trained with No. 4 Army Co-operation Squadron at Farn-borough, England, and in 1927 trans-ferred to Heliopolis, Egypt, where he remained for three years. In 1929 ,he was engaged in active patrol work in Palestine during trouble between the Arabs and the Jews.

Mr. Koch, who has done 1,200 flying hours, has flown 14 different types of machines, from single-seater fighters to Vickers-Victoria troop-carrying ma-chines, which accommodate about 20 men with equipment.

He returned to Australia in January, 1931, and for a time was with Australian National Airways as assistant pilot be-tween Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. He is now an active member of the Citizen Air Force at Laverton.

Senator C. W. Grant was a passenger to Melbourne yesterday by the Loongana

en route to Canberra.

Mr. Tasman Philp, Chief Veterinary Officer to the Department of Agriculture, who is recovering from a severe illness, left for Victoria yesterday to recuper-ate. He expects to be absent for about a month.

Alderman S. Crisp became ill on Sat-urday, and 1s in a private hospital at Hobart in a serious condition.