AN AVIATION OVERSIGHT

Evening Star, Issue 22465, 9 October 1936, Page 16

AN AVIATION OVERSIGHT

TRAINING OF GROUND ENGINEERS NEGLECTED SUBSIDY FROM GOVERNMENT SOUGHT [Pm United Press Association.] NEW PLYMOUTH, October 8. “While a great deal has been done in New Zealand to encourage aviation by the provision of aerodromes and the subsidising of training pilots, one important factor has been overlooked, the training of ground engineers. Unless this matter is given immediate attention the progress of aviation in New Zealand will be seriously retarded.” Such were the views expressed to-day by Mr S. Neilson, secretary of the New Zealand Aero Club. Mr Neilson said that all the training in this direction was at present done by aero clubs at their own expense. As practically every engineer who was trained would leave his club either for service or for commercial aviation a widespread opinion had grown that the training of youths as ground engineers should be subsidised by tho Government. The Minister of Defence had already stated that ho the importance of this class of training. No doubt ho would be able to make provision. It was understood that aero clubs were at present making representations for some assistance in tho training of youths to a standard where they were capable of doing any and all classes of repairs to all types of machines.