N.Z. FLEET AIR ARM FIGHTER PILOTS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 257, 29 July 1942, Page 5

N.Z. FLEET AIR ARM FIGHTER PILOTS

Visit By Mr. Jordan (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (SpQCial Correspondent.) LONDON, July 25. New Zealand Fleet Air Arm fighter pilots at an operational training station were visited by the New Zealand High Commissioner, Mr. Jordan, accompanied by the naval liaison officer, Mr. S. R. Skinner. Some of the pilots trained in England and Canada and others in America where they gained their wings. They are now flying Hurricanes, Grumann Martlets and Fulmars before being drafted to air-craft-carriers or fighter stations. The commanding officer of the training station is Captain M. Somerset Thomas, D. 5.0., RJSL, Auckland. Mr. Jordan also met Paymaster-Comman-der E. N. R. Fletcher, R.N., who was naval secretary to the New Zealand Division from 192 C till 1929. iSub-Lieutenants T. N. Bush, 'Wellington, A. C. Martin, Auckland, and B. W. Nicholas, Christchurch, trained at Pensacola, where they stayed for seven months, and at Miami, where they were for two months. They told Mr. Jordan: “We flew Kingfishers, Harvards and Buffaloes. It was great experience and we had the opportunity of seeing America. We met Tom Heeney, former boxing champion, at his Miami night club and had a long talk with "him about New Zealand.” Visit to Flying School. Mr. Jordan . next visited the Empire Central flying school and met Squadron Leader Trevor Silk, Wanganui, who is on the school staff. He commands a flight of examining instructors who fly to different parts of Britain inspecting schools and testing instructors. Mr. Jordan recently arranged for Air Commodore L. M. Isitt to meet informally Air Marshalls Sir Philip Babbington, Air Member for Personnel, A. G. R. Barrod, Air Member for Training, and H. W. L. Saunders, Air Officer in charge of the Fighter Command administration. Mr. Jordan took the occasion to farewell Liaison Officer Wing Commander F. R. Newell, New Plymouth, and welcome his successor, Wing Commander D. W. Baird, A.F.C. . , “New Zealanders are the best trained of all the airmen we receive here from overseas,” said a group captain at an advanced flying school to Mr. Jordan. They evidently have first-class organization there. At this school, airmen arriving from the Dominion receive a refresher course before going on operational training with a unit. Mr. Jordan learnt that New Zealanders in common with others from overseas find map-reading more complicated than when in their home countries because of Britain’s greater network of roads and railways. They also discover night flying is different because of total blackout, there being no horizon on moonlight nights as in the Dominion.