IN USE SOON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 217, 12 September 1940, Page 6

IN USE SOON.

WHENUAPAI 'DROME 50 TRAINING 'PLANES. TOTAL PERSONNEL 560. WELLINGTON, this day. Whenuapai aerodrome, near Auckland, will shortly become available as a training centre of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It is intended to use this aerodrome as an elementary flying school, statee the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, and the training to be given will be similar to that at Bell Block aerodrome, New Plymouth. "The use of Wlienuapei," added the Minister of Defence, "constitutes a very important addition to New Zealand's air training facilities, for it will be able to train 80 pupils, and when in full operation before the end of the year will be using approximately 50 training aircraft. These will be the well-known Tiger Moth type, which are bo generally used for training purpose* throughout the Empire. "Prior to entering Whenuapai," continued Mr. Jones, '"the pupils receive a month's ground training at Weraroa. Following their elementary flying trainin-,' at Whenuapai, many of them will ;*o on to Canada for completion of the course, while a proportion will be able to receive their advanced training in New Zealand and proceed direct to° the United Kingdom. Whenuapai is already being used as a base for the valuable air reconnaissance work which is being carried on daily by our Air Force. The establishment will comprise 64 officer* and 410 other ranks, which, with the 80 pupil pilots, will make » total of 560 members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force stationed at Whenuapai."