AVIATION TRAINING

Evening Star, Issue 22455, 28 September 1936, Page 8

AVIATION TRAINING

MORE MODERN MACHINES WANTED MR W. D. TAYLOR'S PLEA “ While the club believes that the present Government is awake to the necessity of providing the aero clubs with more up-to-date machines for training purposes, it feels_ that no efforts should be spared to impress on the Government the urgency of the problem,” said Mr W. D. Taylor, president of the Otago Aero Olub, when speaking of the acute shortage of training machines. The matter was referred to by Mr S. E. Neilson, secretary of the New Zealand Aero Olub at New Plymouth on Saturday. Mr Taylor then went on to say that the demand for newer and more modern machines could not be overemphasised, and he believed that if the clubs were provided with a more recent type of aeroplane interest in training and club work would receive a decided stimulus.

The club was at present training 12 pupils for the A license, and of those three intended entering the Royal Air Force. The club had just recently trained two other pilots who had obtained their A licenses and who intended going to England: to join the Royal Air Force. If new machines were available these men couldl gain greater experience before leaving New Zealand, and so improve their prospects of selection for the Air Force, continued Mr Taylor. “ The club’s experience is that new machines are now necessary for the maintenance of interest amongst the more experienced pilots, who have become thoroughly acquainted with the Moths and who are naturally looking for fresh fields to conquer,” said the speaker. “ The Moth has served: its turn nobly and is now out of production. To-day the Moth must be regarded as slow and antiquated, and to advance with the rising tide of aviation more modern machines are called l for. Mr Neilson’s plea is very timely, and we urge that it should receive the fullest support. We ask all clubs and other bodies to, lose no opportunity of impressing on the Government the importance of Mr Neilson’s representations, and the necessity of supplying the clubs at the earliest possible date with modern training machines.”