Incentives For Career In Aviation Lacking

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31116, 20 July 1966, Page 18

Incentives For Career In Aviation Lacking

“The Government is pro-1 perly concerned with all forms of tertiary training, be they university, technical or agricultural, but it declines to take any interest in aviation,” says the president of the Royal New Zealand Aero Club (Mr B. A. Johns) in his annual report No written approach has been made this year either to the Government or to the aviation Industry for financial assistance to aero clubs or pilots intending careers in aviation, he says. “This has not been done because the Government has consistently said in the past ‘no new arguments have been advanced, in favour of assistance.

“This attitude naturally produces a stalemate because there can be no new arguments when the old ones are as sound as ever, and what is vitally needed is a change of thinking by those most concerned.” Mr Johns lists these bases to the club’s arguments for assistance: “Commercial aviation in all its forms is vital to New Zealand’s economy. “The aviation industry has never offered a career in aviation to prospective pilots, even though the shortage is now critical. “The industry will not provisionally pre-select private pilots and encourage them to gain commercial pilots’ licences. It is therefore not surprising that many of those who subsequently gain commercial licences are not altogether suitable, even though they are to be admired for their determination. “The present system of training pilots is the most economic. “Suggestions that the ‘jet age’ nullifies the value of aero clubs from defence and civil aspects are wrong: the basic principles of flying training remain unchanged. Two young pilots who were flying with an aero club less than four years ago already have commands in Air New Zealand,” Mr Johns says.