EMPIRE AIR PLAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24411, 24 September 1940, Page 8

EMPIRE AIR PLAN

RAPID PROGRESS MADE WINGS FOR FIRST PILOTS NEW ZEALAND'S SHARE Agreed upon only in November last year, the Emipire air training scheme, in which Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are participating, is designed to give the Empire the world's greatest air force. Extraordinarily rapid progress has been made in putting the plan into operation, proof of this being an announcement from Ottawa that the first 35 pilots of the 4500 air crew students under instruction were about to receive their wings. The undertaking is on an immense scale. Lord Riverdale, head of the British Air Mission to Canada last year, said that when the organisation reached its peak of efficiency as many as 25.000 to 30,000 pilots, observers, air gunners, and wireless operators might be sent out from Canadian aviation schools in a single year Apart from these men many more are receiving complete training in New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand's share of the Empire air scheme is to cost about £7,000,000 sterling during the three years of the agreement. In addition, there is the local effort, which will cost considerably more, following the rapid development of the expansion scheme. Nearly 40,000 officers and men will be required to man the various schools, depots, and other parts of the organisation in Canada. When it is in full operation it will include 2700 officers and 6000 civilians, the remaining 30,000 being Air Force members other than officers. These figures do not include pupils, who will be numbered by the thousand. The total number of schools required in Canada for the complete training programme will be 67, many of which are already completed or nearing completion. New Zealanders to go to Canada will include pilots who have been partly trained and are to do their advanced courses there, and observers who have also received their initial instruction at New Zealand schools. When the New Zealand organisation is fully developed next January, it will be capable of providing each year 880 fully-trainea pilots, as well as 520 pilots trained to the elementary standard and 546 initially trained observers, to finish their courses in Canada.