AUSTRALIA'S FLYING CORPS,

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1869, 1 October 1913, Page 8

AUSTRALIA'S FLYING CORPS,

ESTABLISHING A SCHOOL. It is anticipated that tho Australian flying corps will now soon come into active being. In reality tho corps started at tho commencement of this year, when four appointments were mado by the Labour Government. Theso appointments wero two pilot aviators, Alessrs. H. Petro and Eric Harrison, and two air .mechanics. At the dato of tlioir appointment in February there was an aeroplane, the property of the Defence authorities, in the Commonwealth already, but tho months have dragged on, and with vain promises the Government of tho day put off the actual creation of the corps. It was declared money was' not available, yet £400 a year each had to be provided for tho pilot aviatoVs, and £200 a year each for the air mechanics. The Melbourne "age" declares that for tho last four months, the site having been definitely fixed, tlio officers of the corps have been engaged "framing regulations." It lias been decided to adopt the conditions governing tho official aviation school in England, tho Central Flying School. Within tho course of Octobor a hangar will bo erected at Point Cook, and tents will be ercctod as temporary accommodation for those members joining the corps. . The Bristol biplane, which is regarded as a machine in which the young officer is taught to fly, and is known amongst pilots as tho "rocking taxi," and the two Depordessi.n monoplanes, will be transferred from the Victoria Barracks, where they are being overhauled, and placed in the hangar. When tlio B.E. 2 biplane arrives from England, and it is expected very shortly, it .will be added to tlio air fleet, and it is probable that beforo long a hydroaeroplane will be purchased. One air mechanic is still in England supervising the construction of spare parts, and ho also supervised tho construction of the hiplano about to arrive in these waters. So ae to prevent delays as far as possible once tho schools have commenced every part of the machines has been ordered in duplicate, including engines. Under tlie conditions of appointments at the Central Flying School, only men under 25 years of ago will be to thc_ corps. They will have to pass a special medical examination in regard to physical fitness. Three month will be spent at the school learning to fl.f; for, while it is possible to obtain a pilot's certificate at the various schools on the Continent and in England in a fortniglit, the Army training is muoh more exacting than merely learning the management of a machine. This will mean that militi.'i officers desiring to enter this branch of tlie servico will have to bo prepared to givo up moro than half their time to tlio corps. No difficulty is anticipated by tlio authoritios in getting sufficient volunteers to fill the vacanies that are likelv to exist.

Once the machine sheds ha-" been erected a start is to ha made with the building of the homes for the mechanics, and, later, barracks for the officers and tbo members of the school. It is confidently assorted that in six weeks the school will he commenced, and that the buildings will be finished in February.