AIR FORCE EFFICIENCY.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 409, 16 April 1937, Page 6

AIR FORCE EFFICIENCY.

EXCHANGE OF PILOTS. New Zealand and England. Press Association—Copyright. April 15. The Minister in charge of the Royal New Zealand Air Force stated to-day in an interview that the Government had/ in the furtherance of its policy of providing an efficient/ air force, in elos-i cd oper:| ion ihe Royal Air Force and other Dominion air forces, arranged for the ex-.-.hange of New Zealand officers with Royal Air Force officers. The first officers io proceed : to England under this agreement will be Squadron-Leader M. W. Buckley, at present Jommandihg the Royal New Zealand Air Force base a: Auckland, and Flying-Officer 11. W. Duffey, at present stationed at Wigram aerodrome. In order .to overcome the difficulty af providing the necessary specialist officers, the Royal Air Force has agreed to send in exchange a specialist engineer and a specialist signals pfficer. It is, howcyeT, ■ hat officers serving in the Royal New Zealand Air Force be trained as specialist officers and the first step in this direction is being ma'de by the despatch of Flying-Officer C. C. Hunter to England to attend a long signals course al a Royal Air Force electrical and wireless school. An officer is also being appointed to specialise in engineering duties*. When selected t|is officer will receive nine months' flying .training in the Dominion and will ‘then proceed to England to attend a long engineering course. The conditions under which these exchanges and attachments have been arranged were discussed during the Imperial Conference of 1926 and an igreemen ( t was reached between the .wo Governments in 1927. The existence of this agreement has greatly facilitated the introduction of the present scheme, which enables New Zealand officers to receive very valuable experience abroad and provides specialist officers e-sseuitial to the Royal New Zealand Air Force at the present 1 inre.