Government's Plans for Training of War Pilots

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 51, 16 March 1937, Page 5

Government's Plans for Training of War Pilots

USE OF WIGRAM AS FLYING SCHOOL AERO CLUBS TO AID WITH RESERVE Development of aviation in New Zealand so that in personnel and equipment the Dominion will become prepared to defend its shores and to take a share in defending the Empire are the basis of the policy being framed by the Government and defence authorities, An outline of the Government's plans concerning aviation is given in the following statement issued to-day by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones. The Government is considering proposals submitted by Wing Commander the Hon. R. A. Cochrane, A.F.C., R.A.F., the officer appointed to investigate and report upon air defence. , The formation of two new operational squadrons, equipped with the latest aircraft, is contemplated. The full scheme will require three years for its completion, says the statement, but at the end of that period New Zealand will have an important adjunct to its defence forces, and a reserve of trained pilots and mechanics which will prove of the utmost value in meeting the growing needs of civil aviation.

A prelimjnary report de&lmg with the s •uggested duties and strengthi of the ( Royal New Zealand Air Force has already been submitted and bas been approved as a basis for a fuller investigation into the organisation and administration of the proposed force. Al- j thcmgh some points atill remain to be ^ settled, it is now possible to give a general idea of the lines Sjlong which J development will take place, and to in- ( dicate the nature of the requirements { in pilots and mechanics over the next two years. # ' The Government has firstly decided that the duties of the Air Force, and £ special nature .of the problems which | it will he called upon to face, necessi- , tate a headquarter organisation, which j can devote its entire attention to these j matters. * An Air Board .will therefore ( be set up to control the Royal New 3 Zealand Air Force, and it is pToposed . to seek the nece seagry legislative powers , dunng the forthcoming session. In the * meantime an Air Force Headquarters ( will be formed in Wellinton on April 1, : and the names of the officers filling the j ehief appointments will be announced j shortly. It can be stated, however, j that civil aviation will be represented j on the board, which will tbus be in a } position • to co-ordinate those matters which afe common to service and civil flving. . The programme of Air Force development which is now being proceeded with contemplates the formation of two new operational squadrons, which will be equipped with the latest type of aircraft. It will be necessary t° Pre~

pare and equip new defence aero- 1 iromes for these sqnadrons, and sur- ' *\vb of suitable localities are proceediig. A final selection will he made as so.on as the necessaTy information is available, so that th© work of providuig th© accomodation can b© started without delay. This, it is estimated, : will take from 18 months to 2 years to complete. Hobsonville As Jtepair Base. Hobsonville, which in the past has filled the dual role of operational station and repair base, will now be organised as a repair centre and will be entarged as necessary to meet the needs of the Air Fprce as these grow. Wigram , will be developed as a flying sehool to , train pilots for the Royal New Zealand • Air Force., tho Reserve and the Royal Air Force, under the various schemes referred to below. As a first step to introdueing the new organisation, ifc is prhposed to coneentrate on the formation of the flying training school at Wigram wi.th the object of starting tho firSt course early in May. A considerable extension of facilities will be necessary to provide the full requirements* , of a "flying training sehool, but in tho meantime arrangements are being made fco adapt a number of temporary buildings which already exist. The aerodrome iteelf has xecently been greafcly improved, and, 'being situated in tho Canterbury Plains, is well suited to flying training. The sehool will provide the full course of flying and ground instruetion required by service pilots, and will commence by training . approximately 50 pilots a year. The New Zealand Air Poree, which ia orgariged in Territoxial Squadrons, con- ' diitg of pilots only, will continue for e praseqt on these liues, but it is -oped that ia the future it may b.e

lible to increase the organisation to injlnde airmen and ultimately aircraft. Direct Enlistment. Apart from the permanent and terri-^ iorial units of the Royal New Zealand lir Force, it is proposed to build up a Reserve of trained pilots, who will be ibtained from two sources; firstly, from imong those who have already completsd a short-service commission in one )f the Air Forces of the Empire, and, secondly, by the direct enlistment and training in New Zealand of personnel with no nrevious flying experience. This latter method of entry will be looked to for the majority of pilots. Suitable mndidates will be given an eight uonths ' course of flying training and will then pass direct to the reserve, where their only liability in peace time will be a fortnight's refresher training aach year. The reserve is intended to rneet two needs; firstly, it will provide a pool of pilots capable in the event of attack of taking their places in Air Force units, and, spcondly, it will proprovide a source of recruitment for the jrowing needs of civil aviation. For those who wish to obtain more extenaive experience of flying, shortservice commissions are offered in the Royal Air ForGe and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. By an agreement with the ' British • Air Ministry, a number of short-service commissions in the Royal Air Force — for the present to be limited .o 50 a year — will be offered to New 'Zealand candidates. The length of the commission is at" present fixed at 4 years, including the initial period under training. Two methods of entry will be available. In the firfst, candidates will be selected in New Zealand and their passage paid. to the IJnited Kingdom, where they will report to the Air Ministry and be posted to a suitable unit for training. In the second scheme, candidates will be selected and. also trained in the Dominion, and will then be given passages fco the United Kingdom, where they will join a Royal Air Force squadron. A request for applications to fill 20 vacaneies under these two schemes wiJl shortly be issued, * The Royal New Zealand Air Force will ifcself require some 70 additional pilots during the next two years. These will be obtained partly from those who have completed a short-service commission „ iu the Royal Air Force, partly from candidates who will be entered direct from civil life and trained at Wigram, and partly by selection from within the ranks of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Commissions will normally be offered for a limited period, with the dual objeets of building up a reserve for service and civil aviation, and of ensuring "that those officers who are awarded permanent commissions^ can be ufftA'ed a career which provides adequate prospeets of promotion. s Selection of Candidates It is hoped to provide opportunities for those who can' only devote their spare time to flying, and negotiations are now proceeding with the Aero Clubs regarding the details of a scheme which it is proposed shall lead to the foraiation of a civil reserve o fpilots. A further announcement will be made in the near future. In general, applicants for servico must be between the ages of 17i and 25 years, they must be physically fit, and njust be able to give proof of a sound oducational standard. No previous experience of flying is necessary, but applicants with a knowledge of navigation, wireless telegraphfo or meehanical engineering will find ample scope for its employment in the Service or in civil aviation, and will be especially valuable. The expansion in the general flying activities in the Dominion will also call for a consjderable increase in the numbers of skilled mechanics necessary to maintain the aircraft and to undertake the many teehnical operations necessary in Service flying. It is iutended that wherever possible suitable New Zealand candidates shall be enlisted and if not already trained shall be given instruetion in the trades required. In some instances this training will be given in the Domimon, but where no facilities exist the training may be undertaken eitlier in the United Kingdom or in Australia, where organised teehnical courses are already available. Airmen will also be required to fill vacaneies in the semi-skilled and unskilled branches of the service, but wherever possible opportunities will be aff-orded to such. pien to leatn a trade

and to work their way up into the more skilled branches of the F.orce. Branches of the Reserve which will be open to airmen will also b® set up. One section for wireless operators and a second section for air gunners will be organised this year, and details will be issued during the next few months. Fuller informatiou regarding the various parts of the scheme which has been outliu^d above will be issued from time to time. Requests for applications to fill vacaneies will be advertised in the leading newspapers throughout the Dominion, and intending applicants are askjed not to wxite to the Department except in answer to . the&q advertisenmt*.