AIR TRAINING

Evening Star, Issue 23680, 13 September 1940, Page 12

AIR TRAINING

WHENUAPAI AERODROME SOON AVAILABLE ELEMENTARY FLYING SCHOOL [Special to the * Star.’] WELLINGTON, September 13. Whenuapai Aerodrome, near Auckland, will shortly become available as a training centre of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It is intended to use this aerodrome as an elementary flying school, states the Minister of Defence (lion. F. Jones), and the training to be given will be similar to that at Bell Block Aerodrome, New Plymouth. “ The use of Whenuapai,” added the Minister of Defence, “ constitutes a very important addition to New Zealand’s air training facilities, for it will he able to train 80 pupils, and when in full operation before the end of the year will be using approximately 50 training aircraft. These will be the well-known Tiger Motli type, which are so generally used for training purposes throughout the Empire. 11 Prior to entering Whenuapai,” continued Mr Jones, “ the pupils receive a

month’s ground training at Weraroa. Following their elementary Hying training at Whenuapai, many of them will go on to Canada for completion of the course, while a proportion will be able to receive their advanced training in New Zealand, and proceed direct to the United Kingdom. Whenuapai is already being used as a base for the valuable air reconnaissance work which is being carried on daily by our Air Force. The establishment will comprise 64 officers and 416 other ranks, which,' with the 80 pupil pilots, will make a total of 560 members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force stationed at Whenuapai.”