TRAINING FLYERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20073, 20 October 1939, Page 8

TRAINING FLYERS

PERSONNEL FOR R.A.F. DOMINION EXPANSION 1800 MEN SEEK ENTRY GOVERNMENT’S PLAN (F«r Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Discussing the effort New Zealand is making for training flying personnel for the Royal Air Force, the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, said that very satisfactory progress had been made and the .progress of expansion to provide the necessary training aerodromes and maintenance personnel was well in hand.

Already a recruit training ground had been formed at Ohakea and No. 1 elementary flying training school had been formed at Taieri Aerodrome, Dunedin, and will commence training next Monday.

Pupils for early entry .for training had been drawn from those candidates selected prior to the war for short-service commissions in the Royal Air Force and from members of the Civil Reserve pilots. A central organisation had been formed to deal with further applications and a selection board was being appointed to visit tiie main centres soon, and commence interviewing some of the 1300 candidates. This task should be completed before the end of the year. Every effort was being made to increase the prsent rale entry of GO to 100 a month by February. Mr. Jones said the top age limit for pilots was still 27. Air observers may now be accepted up to the age of 32.